Taming
by HavocDream
Summary: She wasn't the type that mixed with hoods and He wasn't the type to care about awkward little country girls. Somehow, they made it work.
1. Introduction Part 1

**Authors Note- Hello! So this is my very first attempt at writing and its all just for fun so please be nice. Its been awhile since I've read the book but hopefully I didn't mess any of the facts up. **

**It starts off slow but it should pick up in a few chapters so be patient.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. Everything you recognize belongs to S.E Hinton **

I knew it was early as I woke up to a soft drip…drip…drip…coming from…. somewhere. I couldn't exactly pinpoint where the sound was originating from but it sure was annoying. It wasn't unlike the sound of a dripping faucet but I could hardly hear when the shower was running let alone a leaking faucet. This sound was much closer.

I groaned as I opened one eye, the room was filled with a gray light. The sun wasn't even fully in the sky yet which meant it was too early for me. I sat up, glancing around my bedroom trying to find what was causing the noise. I spotted movement in the corner of my room and took a closer look. The drip…. drip…drip was coming from my ceiling or rather the leaking roof. It rained heavily last night, heavier than I'd seen it in a long time and it looked like the old house couldn't hold up. I'd like to say that I was responsible and got out of bed to get my uncle Todd but I'm not a morning person and after discovering the source of the drip, drip, drip I simply snuggled back under my covers and dozed for a few more hours. It could wait for the sun to rise.

Two or maybe three, but probably four hours later I awoke again to an annoying sound. It was a sharp bang, bang, bang against my bedroom door. I knew by the persistence of the knocking that it was my cousin Fran. We're the same age, almost to the day, but as different as the Socs and Greasers at her high school are.

"Wake up sleeping beauty!" Came Fran's sing -song voice. I mentally growled at her.

"It's early" I whined back. I heard her sigh and respond, "Only to you! It's already half past nine. There's bacon downstairs, Winnie…"

Tempting. I did love bacon; lucky for me it didn't show…yet.

I sighed, "Alright! I'm up!"

"Wonderful!" I could just picture the grin on her pretty face.

"Only to you." I copied as I got out of bed. Drip…drip…drip… The roof was still leaking. I cursed as my feet connected with the growing puddle of rainwater on my floor. I suppose that's what I get.

I could smell the bacon as I came down the stairs and I was glad my cousin had thought to wake me. My uncle was sitting at the table reading the paper but he lowered it when I walked in.

"'Morning Winifred, you're up early" He joked, I think. My uncle isn't really good at joking and sometimes he comes off as awkward if his tone isn't right but he was as nice as they came, just like his daughter. Speaking of Fran, she was also sitting at the table drinking her glass of orange juice. She had already showered and was dressed. Her strawberry blonde hair was up in the latest fashion and she had just the right amount of make up on her face to look fresh faced and decent. "Yes, you are up surprisingly early for a Sunday." Her eyes sparkled as she played along with Uncle Todd. I rolled my eyes but hid my smile as I sat down to my plate of bacon, toast, and eggs. Half past nine WAS early for a Sunday, for normal people. I looked to my uncle; he looked a lot like my mom with the same red hair and hazel eyes. His face was lined with age but not too much and tanned from working on his farm. He looked warm and open, another thing him and Fran shared. I was the opposite. If they were all warm then I was cool. I could never do the things Fran does with her hair, mine was a crazy, curly, dark mess. It wasn't very frizzy luckily, and if I really put effort into it I could pull of the easier looks but most days I couldn't bother with it. My eyes are a simple blue and I'm fairly pale. Fran can start up conversations with friends or neighbors like no body's business but I tense up or forget my manners. Most take me for shy when really my quietness is born from my desire not to say something that would horrify me or accidently offend the other person. I didn't wear make up either.

I was brought out of my musing by my uncle.

"It's a good thing its sunny, the fencing on one of the pastures needs replacing" he mentioned.

That reminded me, "Hey Uncle Todd," I said and he looked at me, "I think the roof might need some fixing up. It was leaking earlier." He made a 'hmm' sound and went back to his paper. I looked to Fran silently asking what that meant. She gave a shrug and picked up her plate.

"Well I'm off to go shopping with the girls" she said.

"Have fun sweetheart" Uncle Todd said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Say hello to everyone for me." I said and she smiled and nodded as she left. I wasn't much of a shopper and although I loved my cousin, sometimes we needed to do our own things.

After breakfast I showered and got dressed. Like my hair, I didn't spend much time on clothing. If what I was wearing matched, was clean, not too outdated and was decent than I was happy.

My uncle had made a phone call about the roof and said that the roofing company was sending out someone to take a look and give an estimate on the price around two. He asked that I stick around the house and wait for them while he was out fixing the fence. I didn't really have any other plans so I grabbed my sketchbook and sat on the front porch to find something to draw.

Our house was in a rural area about half an hour outside of Tulsa. The front porch over looked the main road into the city and sometimes I'd sketch the different cars that drove on it. This day, however, I decided to sketch Louis. Louis was what I had named the squirrel that lived in the tree next to our house. Uncle Todd had wanted to shoot him before he started to be a pest but I had convinced him not to. I didn't like it when things were killed, I didn't even bother killing spiders. More than once Fran had pointed out that it was weird that I loved bacon so much but went out of my way to save a spider or squirrel. I couldn't really explain it.

It was one thirty when the sound of an engine caught my attention. It was a beat up truck with only the driver and some equipment in it. I stood as it parked in front of the house. The man that stepped out was handsome with dark hair and light blue eyes and an 'I mean business' look about him. I felt the familiar tense feeling I got around strangers start to creep up. Should I shake his hand and introduce myself? Or let him start? I probably shouldn't mention Louis, right? Maybe he didn't like squirrels.

"Is this Mr. Todd Murphy's place?" He asked with a calm polite tone. I nodded my head quickly.

"Uh…yeah…" I muttered. He gave a small smile and nodded.

"I'm Darrel Curtis from Samson's Roofing. Mr. Murphy called about a leaking roof?"

"Yeah, our roof is leaking." I said and mentally kicked myself.

"Right." The guy said slowly, "So is your father home?"

"Uncle actually. He's out." I said a little louder. The guy nodded again but I got the impression that he was probably a little frustrated with me. I had that affect on some people. I could feel my palms get moist as I fought to speak like a normal person.

"Um I can show you the leak and you can give me the estimate and then I'll give that to my uncle and he can call you and set up a time to get it fixed." Too much. He really didn't need to know all that.

"Might as well." He said. I lead him into the house and to my bedroom to show him the where the water had come from. It felt strange having a stranger in my room and I stayed in the doorway as he looked at it then out the window to get a better idea of where the whole in the roof might be.

"It's not too bad but I'm gonna have to take a look at the roof." He told me.

"O-ok." I managed.

He got his ladder from his truck and set it against the side of the house. I stayed by his truck and watched as he carefully maneuvered his was on the roof.

It was about twenty minutes later when he came down.

"It's not bad, only the part in the corner needs to be fixed. The rest looks good." I smiled as he began to fill out something on a piece of paper.

"This is the estimated price," he said pointing to the paper, "This is materials and this is labor costs. It shouldn't take more than a day to fix and we can have someone out tomorrow or Wednesday." He finished and handed me the paper.

"Thank you Mr. Curtis." I said normally.

"You're welcome-" he started

"Winnie-" I stopped, unsure if he had even wanted to know my name or if I had cut him of.

"Right," He started but the sound of another car coming up the road cut him off. Fran was back from shopping. She parked and got out carrying at least a half dozen shopping bags. She stopped, though, when she saw Mr. Curtis.

"Oh! Hello!" she greeted cheerfully and threw in a bright smile.

"Hi." Curtis said, I looked to him quickly and noticed the slightly stunned expression on his face. Interesting…

"You must be here about the roof? I'm Fran Murphy." Fran said trying to hold out her hand but her many bags made it a little difficult. I raised an eyebrow and hid my smirk as Darrel Curtis quickly wiped his hands on his jeans and shook hers.

"Darrel Curtis, but everyone calls me Darry." He said with a real smile.

"Well it's nice to meet you. Winnie, would you help me with these?" I nodded and grabbed as many of the bags as I could and quickly turned to go inside giving them some privacy. A few minutes later Fran came inside and I heard the truck leave.

"He was friendly!" She sighed and I laughed at her.

"And dreamy…"

She blushed as I asked her if she had given him her number.

"I only just met him! We just talked about the roof and that he'd probably be back to fix it." I didn't imagine the hint of disappointment in her voice.

"He's too old for me anyway." She said quickly.

"Didn't look that old, 23 at the oldest" I told her.

"Too old for a 17 year old girl"

"Almost eighteen." I countered. She shook her head and dropped the conversation. I dropped it too.

"So do you wanna see what I got?" Her eyes glowed and she got a little giddy as she started on the bags. I laughed at her again, nodded and sat down.

The next day Fran dropped me off at my high school like usual. Fran and I went to different schools. I attended school at the local high school but Fran drove the extra miles to go to Will Rogers in the city. I didn't understand why she liked it so much, being in the city. I guess I hadn't spent enough time there and Fran had grown up in the city and hadn't known what it was like living away from it until Todd had decided he'd had enough of the upper class living. He sold their big house on the west side and moved onto the farm and I had joined them a year later. I grew up in a small town in Montana and wasn't very city or street smart. The few times that I had joined her had made me nervous even when we visited her friends who lived in the nice part of town. So I didn't go very often.

After school I started walking home, it took about an hour walking to get back but Fran got out at the same time I did and it took her a while to drive back. I would just meet her as I was walking back and hop in the car. She was really cheerful when I got in the car.

"Good day?" I asked.

"Not really but I'm hoping it'll get a little better." She said, smiling.

"Ah…" I said, "The roof is getting fixed today."

"Yep!" She glowed.

When we reached the house there was a truck in the drive way and I could see a ladder on the side of the house. I turned to my cousin, "Looks like you're in luck!"

She smiled and got out of the car, forgetting her book bag. Darrel was on the roof and I could see Fran call up to him. I decided to go inside and let her work it out on her own. She wouldn't need my help anyway and I had homework to do.

Fran was quiet at dinner and I got the feeling it wasn't a good thing. Uncle Todd didn't notice thought so I decided to wait till after dinner.

"What's up?" I asked later as I played with Fran's hair in her bedroom. She gave a sad little sigh, "I'm too young." She started, "Thing with Darry was going good ya know? He was working on the roof and talking with me and all but then age somehow got brought up-" she stopped and gave a bitter laugh, "Hell, I think I'm the one who brought it up! Anyways, he got all funny when he heard I was seventeen and talking wasn't the same anymore." I stayed quiet, thinking about it.

"You only have a little while longer till you're eighteen. Did you tell him that?"

"No, I should have. It wouldn't have made no difference." I cringed at her grammar, I still wasn't used to the slang here.

"Well, if you want I could go up and pull some of the roof off when we're eighteen?" I joked and was rewarded with her laugh.

"Thanks, you're a real pal."

"I know." I said, completely serious. Fran laughed a little more, "You know what would really cheer me up?"

"Hmmm.?"

She moved from the floor to sit on the bed next to me and grabbed my hands. I got a bad feeling in my stomach.

"I wanna go see this movie Friday at the Nightly Double and I want you to come with me." Her eyes were wide and pleading. I wanted to say no, I really did but sometimes puppy dog eyes work on me.

"Fine! But-" I said as she started to squeal, "you have to go with me to the rodeo Saturday after next."

"Deal!"

**If you like please review! I'll be more inspired to update faster….**


	2. Introduction Part 2

**Author's Note: He's chapter two! I don't know if I managed to get Sodapop and Steve down right. I hope I made them true to how they are in the book. If not please let me know and I'll try to fix it. And I'm horrible with grammar; hopefully it's not too terrible.**

**Also, I remember the book describing Soda as being GOLDEN blonde but he has dark brown hair in the film. I'm going to stick with the book description so his hair is going to "stay gold". **

**Disclaimer: I only wish I owned The Outsiders… I make no profit from this.**

**REVIEW! PLEASE!**

The week went by uneventful and the closer Friday got the more I willed it not to. When it finally came I was a complete mess. I wasn't always such a wreck but occasionally I would panic and my breathing would get difficult and the world would start to spin. It only happened around strangers and in larger crowds or public places. It had also gotten worse since moving to Oklahoma. I didn't consider myself to be weak and I hated that I came off as a simpering little girl who couldn't handle it when things got rough.

Most of the time I could get control over the anxiety attacks but when I couldn't it got pretty bad. I think Fran knew that I was close to panicking and backing out because after school she did her best to keep me calm. She reminded me that we were going with only one of her friends so I wouldn't have to talk much. We wouldn't go into any of the poorer parts of town or hang out with any of her friends who liked to drink and throw beer blasts. I had to admit that she did make me feel a little better.

She had decided that it was her job to do my hair and pick out my outfit though I wouldn't let her put any makeup on me.

I looked in the mirror after Fran had finished.

"Perfect!" she chimed. I smiled and thanked her. Fran had curled my hair so that instead of being a nest of messy ringlets it flowed in somewhat contained waves. I wore a white blouse with a light blue sweater and a dark blue skirt that hit right at my knees. I tried to get away with my cowboy boots but Fran had caught me and made me switch to a nicer pair of black flats.

She looked good as well but than again, she always did. Her skirt was shorter than mine but nowhere near indecent and she had chosen a cream top that matched well with the yellow of her skirt. The combination really helped draw attention to just how pretty she was. Even though I was all dolled up too I knew I could never equal her. I didn't mind though, it was better not to be noticed than have someone see me and think I was worth talking to. It saved me the embarrassment of even more horrible conversations.

" Who are we seeing the movie with?" I asked as Fran finished up the last of her make-up.

"Rebecca Dalton. I think you've met her before"

I had met Rebecca before. She was one of the first people Fran had introduce me too when I moved in with her and Uncle Todd. She was pretty enough and from one of the wealthiest families in Tulsa. Her and I didn't get along very well. She talked down to me because I was from Montana and came off as a dumb, shy, hick. I did my best to ignore her.

"She's the one with blonde hair right?" I asked simply to say something.

"I've got a lot of girl friends with blonde hair" Fran said, playfully rolling her eyes, "But yes, she has blonde hair."

Fran drove us into town early so we could grab some dinner. She liked a little diner that wasn't very far from the Nightly Double. It was a nice joint and she waved at a few of the teens that were already sitting at a booth but made no move to join them.

"That's Randy Adderson." Fran whispered as we sat down, "He was the friend of Bob Sheldon." She had said it like I knew what that meant. She saw my blank stare and hurried to explain.

"He was the guy who was killed a little while back. He was stabbed in a park after him and some other guys, including Randy, got drunk and attacked two kids."

I remembered the story now, vaguely. I remember reading about the two kids and something about a fire and that they had been 'hoods' and then heroes.

"What happened?" I asked. Fran shrugged.

"The kid that killed Bob was hurt really bad in a fire. I don't know what happened to him. I know the other kid still goes to school. I see him around sometimes."

Yet another reason to stay out of the city. It just wasn't safe. I looked at Randy. He was laughing next to a girl with short dark hair.

"Did he get off? After what happened?" Fran looked over her shoulder.

"He went to court and got community service. He hasn't been the same though."

I understood that. I had seen my father put down one of our horses after it had been attacked by a mountain lion when I was little and it took two weeks before I started talking. That had only been a horse; I couldn't imagine what it would be like to see a friend killed.

"I don't get it." I said after our food had arrived.

"Get what?"

"The whole Soc verses Greaser thing. We don't have that back home." I said quietly. Fran sighed,

"Most greasers are hoods, they steal things, and slash tires and break windows and scare people for kicks. Some of them aren't too bad but they're still friends with the really bad ones. "

"What do the Socs' do? Help little old ladies cross the street?" I asked, knowing that wasn't the case. Socs' jumped kids in parks apparently.

"No, but we're not dangerous. Not like they are." She defended. I could tell she was getting irritated which is rare for her. I backed off.

"You're probably right. I guess I don't know much about what goes on here."

She smiled then, "You would if you came down with me more often!"

I smiled back and shook my head. I lived in a simple world and I was happy enough with where I was. It seemed like things were too complicated in town. It was best if I stayed far away from the Greasers and the Socs.

We decided to walk to the Nightly Double instead of taking Fran's car. It was cheaper, though we had enough money that it didn't really matter.

"We'll see more people this way." Fran assured me.

"Wonderful!" I lied. Fran tried hard to help me fit in and I didn't like letting her down.

"Oh, Look! There's Rebecca." She pointed over to the entrance.

"Frances!" Rebecca cried and skipped over to Fran to give her a warm hug. She looked at me over Fran's shoulder and gave me a look of very well veiled disgust. I resisted the urge to glare right back and instead looked at my feet as I shuffled them. When Rebecca and Fran separated I moved forward to stand next to my cousin.

"Becky, you remember my cousin Winifred right?" Fran was clueless to the very subtle dirty looks passing between Rebecca and me.

"Oh of course! How could I forget? The one with the speech issues right?" The last bit she whispered to Fran but I heard anyway and I felt my face grow hot.

"She's just a little shy." Fran whispered back. I mentally rolled my eyes. I would talk more if I ever got good at it. Fran and I had talked for hours before once I had relaxed around her. I knew when I spoke around strangers it always came out wrong, I just hadn't figured out how to fix it yet. So I stayed quiet most of the time. In that moment though I decided not to bother trying to fix it and just stood silently to the side as the other two laughed about something that happened at school.

We walked to a row of seats with a good view of the screen and sat down. The place was busy and there were a lot of people around. I felt my heartbeat quicken and I started breathing a little more heavily. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It's not that bad, they're just normal people having a good time. Calm Down!

"Winnie?" My cousin's quiet voice broke into my thoughts. I swallowed and let out my breath, feeling better. I looked at her, and saw that her brows were furrowed.

"I'm fine." I managed. "Wasn't bad at all. It's over." It was the truth. I was getting better at controlling it. She believed me and went back to talking with Rebecca. I focused my attentions on the advertisements on the screen. We still had about ten minutes before the movie started.

"Hey Becky, look who it is" Fran laughed and tilted her head to two boys walking by our row. I heard Rebecca giggle and turn her heard to whisper in Fran's ear. I couldn't hear what she was saying so I looked to the boy she kept glancing over at. He was our age give or take a year or two and really good looking. The kind of good looking you don't want to look away from. His golden blonde hair was greased back and he was wearing a plaid shirt and old jeans. He was with another boy who was dressed in a similar fashion with complicated swirls in his dark hair. Greasers.

I thought Socy girls like Rebecca didn't like Greasy boys. The two boys walked around the corner of the concession stand and I couldn't see them anymore.

"-Follow him." I heard Fran whisper excitedly. Rebecca gave her a little impish grin and hopped up to run after the boys.

"What's up?" I nudged Fran.

"That's Sodapop Curtis. Becky's sweet on him."

"But he's a Greaser…" I said, raising an eyebrow at his odd name.

"Yeah well Becky seems to think his good looks cancel that out. 'Sides, he's not one of the really bad ones and she just wants a little bit of fun." She winked at me. I shrugged and went back to watching the screen. It didn't bother me when girls chased boys or the other way around as long as they were smart about what they did. I wasn't a prude after all. I had already had my first kiss and gone a little bit farther with a boy that had grown up on an Indian reservation near where I lived in Montana. I was fifteen at the time. But then a thought struck me.

"You said his last name is Curtis…?" I said slowly.

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you think he may be related to another Curtis we know?"

It took a second but her eyes widened as it hit her.

"There's one way to find out!" She said and gave me a look that was not unlike the one Rebecca had given her before following the boys.

"I'll be back."

"What? NO! That is not-" but she was already gone and I was stuck sitting by myself.

"Ok, I'm ok. Just breath Win." I said out loud, keeping myself calm. My breathing increased, but only by a little. I sat there for a few minutes and soon the movie started and Fran and Becky still hadn't returned. I was starting to get real nervous then. I briefly considered getting up to look for them but I decided against it, knowing I'd get lost. I kept a look out as I tried to watch the movie. After sometime I calmed down and settled in my seat until a hand came down on my sholder. I gave a startled yelp and jumped in my chair.

"Whoa! Winnie, easy honey." Fran's soft voice came. She was standing behind me.

"Where have you been?" I whispered, harshly.

"I'm sorry, Becky and me are sitting with those boys. Turns out Sodapop Curtis is, in fact, the younger brother of Darrel Curtis."

"Small world." I muttered.

"Come sit with us. Please." She was doing her puppy dog eye thing.

"I don't think so. I'll only intrude." I could resist The Look.

"Please, I promise it's not going to be weird or anything."

I was torn. I wanted to go with her because she was my friend but at the same time I didn't want to because I knew it would only be awkward and uncomfortable for me.

"No, I-I think it might actually be good for me to stay here. On my own." I tried to smile. Fran hesitated, "Are you sure? I wanted to see this movie with you too."

I nearly gave in then but sometimes, when I put my mind to it, I can be real stubborn. I nodded my head.

"Ok, we're sitting right on the other side of the concession stand. Come get me if you need to." She was still hesitating.

"Alright, but I'll be ok."

She patted me on the arm as she walked away.

The movie wasn't bad, the acting was over done but for twenty-five cents I wasn't about to complain. There was another movie on after the first but I didn't know if Fran had planned to stay for both. I walked around the concession stand and started searching for my cousin.

I spotted her standing with Becky and the two boys. I walked over and stood on the outside of the little the circle the four had made for a few seconds. I cleared my throat to get Fran's attention. They were all too busy listening to Becky talk. She was smiling and tossing her hair back. She could be very charming when she wasn't being a complete cow to me. I cleared my throat louder and threw in a cough as well. Becky spared me a short glance and went back to chattering off the really good-looking boy's ear. I swallowed a growl as Becky ignored me.

"Excuse me!" I said just loud enough to get every ones attention. I blushed but looked at Fran.

"Hey! Winnie, meet Sodapop and Steve." She said as she linked her arm with mine. Steve was the closest to me. He gave me a quick once over and a crisp 'Hey'. He seemed decent enough. Sodapop stepped away from Becky and held out his hand with a wide smile on his handsome face. His eyes were bright as I slowly shook his hand.

"Howdy! I'm Sodapop." I didn't trust myself to speak so I smiled and nodded my head and let go of his hand.

"Your cousin says you're from Montana?" he asked. I inwardly smirked at Becky's face.

"Yeah…" I managed. He only smiled wider. It got awkwardly quiet then.

"So, uh, Fran…what's the plan…." I hoped no one noticed my accidental rhyming.

"Well," Becky started, "We were thinking of going to the Dairy Queen and getting some ice cream." I looked at Fran quickly, I could tell she wanted to go and I still felt a little bad about not watching the movie with her.

"Sounds…f-fun!"

"Yeah?" My cousin asked.

"Yes."

"Well alrighty, lets get going." Soda cheered. Him and Steve led the way and they started rough housing with each other as they walked. Becky was walking with Fran about ten steps behind them and I brought up the rear.

Ice cream with Soda and Steve was kind of like going to the circus. I had to hold back my giggle as I glanced at the Dairy Queen employees. They were going to tell us to get lost any second, I was sure of it. We were starting to attract a crowd as well.

"You think you're a big shot huh Steve? Watch this!" Soda cried as he did an impressive back flip off of the picnic table we were all sitting at. He landed perfectly and I heard a group of girls clap and cheer from somewhere. Becky clapped too and Fran laughed joyfully.

Soda was digging all the attention he was getting. It was like he was feeding off of it and in turn we were all feeding off his craziness. His laughter was infectious and I felt myself slowly relax around him. Steve was a different story. He was harder and just a little bit cold, it was obvious though that him and Soda were like brothers. He had made an attempt at talking to me but got bored when I kept giving one-worded answers. I was keeping my mouth in check and doing a pretty good job at not saying anything embarrassing. We received a nasty look from the manager and kept it cool after that. Soda plopped down next to me as a finished up my ice cream cone.

"So tell me about Montana." He asked and I made up my mind right there that he had the best sounding voice I'd ever heard. It wasn't too deep or too raspy and had just the right amount of southern twang to be absolutely adorable.

"Uh…. well it's a lot different but not at the same time." I said knowing I wasn't making any sense. He just laughed and waited for me to go on. I couldn't though because Rebecca had stood up and declared that she was ready to go home. It had gotten late after all.

Soda and Steve said good night to the three of us and mentioned how we might all see each other again but no one made plans to actually meat up. I doubted we would ever hang out together again. I noticed that Soda hadn't asked for Becky's number. I sort of felt bad for her; she had tried so hard to get it. I also felt bad for Fran because Soda was her only connection to Darry. Sure they had only talked once or twice but Fran had fallen hard anyway.

We walked back to the Nightly Double to drop off Rebecca at her car.

"Hey Franny can I talk to you." Rebecca asked sweetly. She gave me a sideways glance, "Alone."

I shrugged and turned to Fran, "I'll just head back to the car."

"Ok, remember to take the second left not the first and that'll bring you right past the diner and back to the car." She handed me the keys.

I walked briskly and hugged myself. It was getting close to being summer time and school was almost out but the nights still got cold. I had reached the diner and quickly walked past a guy that was leaning against the brick building smoking a cigarette. He wore a brown leather jacket. I had made it to the car safe and sound and was about to put the key in the lock when I looked down at the front tire. I gasped out loud then cursed. The front two tires had been slashed.

"No! No! No!" I said very quickly. How were we going to get back home? I stomped my foot against the pavement and looked towards the sky.

"This is not happening!" I told the sky.

"Man, that uh…really sucks." I spun around as I heard the smooth, voice coming from the guy with the cigarette and brown jacket. He didn't sound sincere at all.

"Did-did you see the stupid, annoying, immature, little…p-p-prick that did this?" I asked furiously.

The guy's eyes flashed then turned cold. He moved away from the wall and sauntered towards me, like a predator. He had a dangerous smirk on his face. My heart started pounding in my chest and I backed away from the guy. Alarm bells were ringing.

"Yeah, I saw it." He purred coldly looking me up and down. I felt color rise to my cheeks.

"W-well?" I stammered. He took a long puff from his cigarette.

"He was 'bout this tall-" He held his hand level with his head, "Kinda messy hair-" he tugged on his messy hair, "Brown leather jacket… A real hood."

I swallowed and backed up even further as he advanced.

"O-oh… I-I'll keep a look out." I said nervously, pretending that I didn't know he was describing himself perfectly. I think he knew I was pretending. He looked right at me with cold unfeeling eyes for three heartbeats that I swore he could hear. He was only an arms length away and I was pressed against the car. I clutched the keys in my hand.

"The uh stupid, annoying, immature little…" He said dangerously calm "p-p-prick," he mocked, "Is called Dallas Winston." He walked away.

I didn't let out my shuddering breath until he was out of sight.

**I love Dallas! I hope he's believable in this.**

**Please…Please…Please…Please review! Let me know if you like it and if I should continue it.**


	3. Introduction Part 3

**Author's Note- I spent a lot of time on this chapter. I think I rewrote it about a dozen times trying to get it right and I'm still not 100% happy with it. It's more of a filler chapter and there'll be more Winnie/Dally interaction in the next one. **

**I want to thank everyone that reviewed so far! It makes me really really really happy to hear what people have to say and helps me know that I'm on the right track as far as characters go. **** THANKS SO MUCH YOU GUYS!**

**Disclaimer: The Outsiders just ain't mine.**

I was sitting in the passenger's seat of the car trying to calm down and to take shelter from the rain that had started poring down. I was both scared and furious! What kind of person slashes tires? The fact that the hood that did it had stuck around after and tried to terrify me only made the whole situation worse.

I couldn't wait to find a police officer and tell him exactly what happened and what the guy had said. He really was an idiot for sticking around.

And how were we going to get home? It was late and Uncle Todd was a heavy sleeper. What was going to happen if we called the house but he didn't wake up? The buses weren't running and we hadn't taken enough cash with us for a taxi. There was a very real chance that we were going to end up stranded. I let out a sigh and saw Fran running towards the car using her sweater as a makeshift umbrella. I knew when her pleasant face frowned that she had seen the flat tires. I rolled down my window and stuck my head out.

"What happened?" She cried. She was soaked to the bone.

"A no-good, greasy hood is what happened." I seethed. I was still angry.

She was quiet for a moment then, "Did you see it happen?"

I shook my head. "No, but I was kindly informed that it's all thanks to a Mr. Dallas Winston." Fran's eyes widened slightly at the name.

"That's not surprising."

"Do you know him?" I asked.

"Not personally but I've heard plenty about him and seen him from a distance once or twice. He really is no good."

I scoffed, "Yeah I got that impression." But she didn't hear as she ran to the other side of the car and got in. I rolled up my window.

"Who told you it was Winston?"

I was about to say Dallas himself but I stopped. It really didn't make any sense for the guy to just admit that he was the one that had done it. What if the guy wasn't Dallas Winston after all? Maybe it was anther hood trying to get him in trouble or something.

"Just someone. We didn't really talk…"

"You never really talk with anyone." She pointed out.

"Well it doesn't matter now. What are we going to do?" There was a tight knot in my stomach.

"There's a phone booth around here somewhere." She said looking around.

"I didn't see one walking back from the movie."

"It has to be close. Come on, lets go look." She got out. I groaned as I opened my door and stepped into the downpour.

Fran and I ran down a side street looking for a phone booth. It was at the end of the second block and we both squeezed in and closed the door.

"Man! It's freezing." Fran said. We were both shivering and breathing heavy from running.

"D-do you have a dime?" I asked as I hugged myself.

"Yeah." She slipped the dime in the phone and dialed the house phone.

"Dad?" I sighed in relief as Fran explained our situation.

"Someone slashed our tires…. No, just the front two… I don't know…. By Gordon's Diner… Yeah, it's raining here too… About five bucks, why?... I know… Ok, alright… Love you too, Dad." She hung up.

"He's coming to get us." Fran said before I could ask, "He's calling an old high school buddy that owns a towing company and he'll take the car to a station."

We ran even faster back to the car but it didn't make any difference. We were both dripping wet by the time we got into the car.

"I-I t-think it's time to turn on the heat." Fran shivered and turned on the car. The radio was playing an old Elvis song. I let my mind replay the events of the night as we waited for the tow truck.

"I still don't get the Greaser thing." I said after awhile.

'What's there not to get?" Fran asked, shocked. "Isn't it clear now that all they do is cause trouble? We could have already been home."

I didn't say anything for a minute, just thought about it.

"Sodapop's a greaser but its ok for a soc like Rebecca to chase after him?" I was getting a little irritated.

"Sodapop isn't bad, he's nice enough. He wasn't the one who slashed our tires."

"So what would happen if it was the other way 'round?"

"What do you men?" Fran asked.

"Like, what if Soda was the one chasing Rebecca? I bet you some jealous boys from the west side would jump him even though he's 'nice enough'. Hell, he could get jumped now just because Rebecca's after him."

My cousin didn't say anything and I think she may have understood what I meant. I wasn't sure if I was making sense though. I knew what I meant but it doesn't always translate when I talk.

We waited in silence until the tow truck arrived. The man was in his mid-forties and really tall and scary looking but he greeted us with a smile and said he'd take real good care of the car.

We stood in the doorway of the now closed diner and watched the truck as it drove down the street with our car trailing behind it. It was only another ten minutes before my uncle's beat up Chevy was pulling up to us.

The drive back was quiet. We were all tired and I was looking forward to my soft bed.

I wasn't feeling very good when I woke up the next morning. It took me more effort than usual to shower and dress and I was thankful it was still the weekend. Uncle Todd was sitting at the table like usual but I noticed Fran's absence. There was also no warm breakfast.

"Did Fran sleep in?" I asked. She never over slept.

"She's got a fever. Probably a result of being in the rain last night. Told her to stay in bed." My uncle said.

"It's not too high is it?"

"Not very, She'll be right as rain in time for school." My uncle sounded confident. I nodded and made myself a bowl of cereal. He wasn't quiet for long.

"We'll be leaving for town around ten."

I stopped eating and looked at him blankly.

"Why?" I was perplexed. I didn't want to go back into town. Not after what happened last night.

"To pick up the car. And Charlie says he knows a man with a nice mare he's looking to sell. Thought I'd meet the guy while we're down there." He said casually.

"So we probably wont be there long?" I asked, hopeful I wouldn't have to spend more time there then was absolutely necessary.

"Probably not."

Not a very reassuring answer. I didn't really have a choice though so I went along with it.

Ten o'clock came and sooner then I liked we were driving back into town. I was fidgeting with the hem of the baggy plaid shirt I had stolen from my father a few years ago and chewing on my bottom lip. Uncle Todd sensed my unease and tried to tease me.

"You could have made a little effort Winifred." He joked, gesturing to my worn shirt and faded jeans that I had tucked into my trusty cowboy boots. My hair was also unusually messy.

"No boy is gonna notice you dressed like that." He laughed lightly.

"I didn't really think about it." I lied. In truth I had put a lot of thought into my look today. Look as boring and plain as possible and be ignored was my plan.

My uncle continued, "You've gotten better you know? With the whole going into town business, you would've been near passing out this time last year."

I smiled, "Yeah, Fran's helped."

He smiled fondly too, "My little girl's good at that."

I still felt the anxiety creep up. The tightening in my chest and the feeling of my heartbeat quicken but Uncle Todd was right, I was better then I used to be.

We pulled into the mechanics and I saw our car sitting in the front parking lot. The front two tires had already been replaced. Todd got out and greeted the same man that had towed the car last night. He motioned for me to get out of the car and I complied.

"Here's the keys." The man said as he handed me the keys.

"T-thanks." I said politely.

"She's a little low on gas, you might want to fill her up. There's a DX 'cross the road and down a ways." I looked to where he pointed and gave him a small nod. My uncle looked at me, "You go on ahead while I talk to Charlie."

"'Kay. I'll meet you back at the house." I said and left.

I found the gas station easily enough and waited behind two other cars that were already there. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard a tap on my window and looked up. The guy was wearing a DX shirt and grinning down at me through the window. His eyes were dancing in his almost too handsome face.

"Sodapop!" I said surprised. He grinned wider. I rolled down my window and he leaned down.

"W-what are you doing here?" I stumbled out. He cocked an eyebrow, "Working! Steve works here too." I looked around but I didn't see the other boy.

"Well…that's nice." I was on a creative roll today. Not.

He smiled and moved to start filling my tank with gas. There was something about him that calmed me down. Maybe it was his smile or his expressive eyes.

"You're cousin told me you girls live outside of town on a farm." He started.

"Uhm…yeah…" I wasn't sure if I was supposed to say more but either way Soda didn't mind as he went on.

"You got any horses?"

"Yeah." I really needed to expand my vocabulary.

"Well? Tel me about 'em!" Soda asked excited. I mentally groaned, I could answer that with one word.

"W-well…we have a bay mare…sweet tempered but too old to be g-good for riding… I just call her Old Girl." I took a deep breath, "And then there's Ronny, he's a red appaloosa mustang. I used to take him riding all the time." I finished and looked back to where Soda was standing by the gas pump. He had a small little smile on his face.

"I love horses. I could be 'round horse all day every day if I could!"

I nodded; I was like that in Montana. I didn't like riding here though. The trails weren't very good and I had no one to go with. When I got really homesick or after a really bad panic attack I would take Ronny out at sunset and just trot him around the farm a little.

"Do you go to any rodeos?" Soda's question broke my thoughts.

"A few. I try to get Fran to go with me sometimes."

"I go to all of 'em. Or most anyways. There's one next weekend."

I nodded and kept quiet. I got the feeling that Sodapop didn't really dig the quiet cause he just kept on talking. I didn't really mind too much because I liked his voice.

"So what are you doin' in town?" He asked as replaced the gas pump and closed my tank.

"Um, picking up the car. Tires got slashed." I said softly. He looked apologetic, "That'll happen in some parts of town."

"Oh we-" I started to say but was interrupted by someone calling Soda's name.

"Soda!" The guy called. It was a familiar voice and one I wasn't very happy to be hearing.

"Hey Dally!" Soda called back much friendlier, "What's up?"

I saw 'Dally' then and my fears were confirmed. It was the hood from last night. I think I might have made a gasping sound because Soda looked down at me with a funny look on his face. My face grew hot and my pulse sped up. I was feeling a strange mixture of fear and anger as I looked back to the guy. He was smoking a cigarette again. He spared me a bored glance and nudged Soda roughly as a greeting. He didn't recognize me! I didn't know whether to be insulted or relieved. He did, however, recognize my car. He looked at it close for a few seconds and I saw his cold eyes flicker to the brand new front tires. I saw a flash of smugness cross his features. He remembered my car more than he remembered me. I was a little insulted. I started up my car,

"It was nice talking with you Soda." I rushed out. Dallas looked at me then. I looked straight back. His mouth curled into a cold smile and I knew if I didn't get out of there soon something bad was going to happen.

"Hold on." He demanded. He leaned down to my window and I looked down at my steering wheel. He blew a puff of smoke right at my face. I scrunched my nose and gripped the wheel till my knuckles were white but made no other movement. I watched him from the corner of my eye. He looked at Soda briefly and I could tell he was forming some sort of plan. Dread filled me.

"So did you have a good time last night? I know I did," He asked. His voice was as smooth as honey but oh so dangerous. I glanced up at him then, my eyes wide as I realized what he was doing.

"What?" I hissed and looked at Soda. For once he wasn't smiling. He looked uncomfortable and was giving Dallas a disapproving look.

Dallas just smirked and took another drag from his cigarette.

"You didn't get into too much trouble…" he purred and ran a hand through a few strands of my hair slowly, "For getting home so late?" He was a horrible person. Embarrassment filled me at first but when I looked into Dallas Winston's hard eyes determination replaced it. I slapped his hand away.

"I didn't get into any trouble, thanks for askin'." I said, "I just had to explain that the reason I was so late was because you slashed my tires!"

It got dead silent as I realized I had all but yelled in his face. He was still, like a cat ready to pounce on a baby bird. I sucked in a breath and made myself as small as possible. Dallas' eyes were narrowed into slits as he looked at me.

I made an effort to look calm and collected on the outside. Inside, my heart was going a mile a minute and I was trembling. Soda was now standing behind Dallas rubbing the back of his neck.

He broke the silence, "Golly, I didn't know your voice could get that loud Winnie."

I tried smiling but knew it didn't work.

"I-it only happens when I get really upset." I said meekly.

The previous bravado I had shown was completely gone now. Dallas straightened, gave me one last calculating look and walked away to go stand by the entrance to the gas station. Soda took his spot and gave me a comforting smile.

"Don't take it too personal. Old Dally's rough around the edges."

I snorted, "More like rough all over." Soda just ignored my comment.

"Once you get to know him he ain't so bad." He defended his buddy. I briefly wondered how a guy like Soda could be friends with someone like Dallas.

"I doubt I'll ever see him again so it really doesn't matter." I told him.

"Right, well maybe we'll see each other at the rodeo!" He said happily and I laughed.

"Yeah, maybe. You better get back to work."

Soda gave me a week and went to go help someone else. I didn't waste anytime getting out of there.

**REVIEW… Pretty please? It'll make my day….**

**Ok, I made Winnie a little out of character when she's talking to Dally and Soda on purpose. They both bring out different traits in her based on how they treat her. Soda's a gentleman and Dally is a monster, I thought about making this a Soda/Winnie story but I think her personality needs someone who's going to push and make her stick up for herself. Sort of force her to grow a backbone and I Think Dally needs a sweet, innocent girl that can still handle a verbal beating. That's how I see it anyway. And Soda's future girl has yet to make an appearance anyway.**

**EXTRA! There are links on my profile to pictures of how I kinda picture my OOC's. Check it out if you want.**


	4. Momentum Part 1

**Author's Note! So I've started my summer job and it just drains all my energy but I still can't manage to fall asleep at night. As a result I haven't felt like writing. :( **** Originally this chapter had a lot more at the end but I realized I could just split it into two parts. And I wanted to put something up before Sunday.**

**Disclaimer: The Outsiders are not mine.**

**REVIEW! Please? They really do help me and lately I haven't felt like writing. I went back and read all the wonderful reviews from previous chapters and they helped me finish this one. THANKS AGAIN YOU GUYS! =D**

Fran had to miss school on Monday but by Wednesday she was back to her usual perky self. I had told her about seeing Soda at the DX. I didn't say a word about Dallas though. I wasn't sure how she would react and I just didn't want to bother with her potential questions. I just wanted to forget the whole interaction.

School had been typical and I spent Friday afternoon on homework so I could go to the rodeo with Fran and not worry about it. I was actually looking forward to Saturday, I loved going to rodeos. Fran wasn't as excited but she still agreed to go with some enthusiasm. She spent most of Saturday morning getting ready.

She was sitting at her vanity applying mascara as I sat on my stomach on her bed. I laughed at her.

"You know we're going to a rodeo right? Not some silly school dance. It's going to be hot and muggy and muddy." I kindly informed her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust,

"Careful," she said, "Or I might change my mind."

"You wouldn't dare!" I said, knowing it was true. She pinned her hair up and got dressed into a nice sundress. I was happy in my jeans and tank top.

"I called Becky. She's agreed to go but we're going to have to pick her up. Her brother's back from school and is using her car."

I rolled my eyes. I knew the only reason Rebecca was going was because of Sodapop.

"We should leave a little early. The fairgrounds are way on the other side of town."

"I'm almost ready. Where are my sandals?" She muttered.

"Fran, you shouldn't wear sandals to a rodeo."

"They go with my outfit!" She whined. I gave up. If she wanted muddy feet than that was her business. She found her shoes under the bed and slipped them on her feet.

"Ready!" I hopped off the bed, my trusty boots making a nice heavy thump sound.

Driving into Tulsa was getting easier every time I went. I liked to think it was because I was just getting stronger as a person but the more cynical part of me thought it was because I knew it couldn't get any worse then last Saturday. If I could survive a run in with Dallas Winston, then the crowd at the rodeo should be a piece of cake. There was still a nagging, tightening feeling in my chest but I could almost ignore it.

We picked up Rebecca from her house. I tried not to stare at the enormous structure and its perfect lawn and flowerbeds. I scoffed when I saw that Rebecca was dressed the same way Fran had dressed.

"Hello Franny!" Rebecca called.

"Sorry, we're a little early." Fran called back. Rebecca noticed me.

"Winnie, honey, do you mind if I sit in the front? I get car sick." I almost believed her polite tone.

I really wanted to say 'me too, sorry' but swallowed it and nodded my head.

"Thanks."

"Mmh-huh." I moved to the back.

Rebecca and Fran chatted away as we headed to the fair grounds. It was like they had their own special girly language that I couldn't follow. I sat in the back staring out the window until we arrived at the rodeo.

Fran had to park pretty far away from the actual rodeo since there were a lot of enclosures where all the horses and cattle were kept. Becky squealed when she got out of the car and immediately stepped in two inches of mud. I wish I could say that I was a good person and didn't get a little bit off joy from it, but I would be lying. When the three of us finally reached the building Fran and Becky had mud splatter all up their legs and their shoes were ruined. I silently thanked my cowboy boots.

"So Winnie," Becky started, "When are you supposed to be meeting Sodapop?"

I gave her a confused look and asked quietly, "What do you mean?"

"Fran said you got to talk to Soda and that we'd all meat him here…"

I looked at Fran who had a sheepish look on her face.

"No." I said slowly, "He said that him and I might see each other while we're here."

Becky sighed, irritated, "Are you trying to say we aren't actually invited?"

Boy, she was good at twisting words.

"That's n-not what I meant. If we do see him I-I'm sure we could all go say hello."

"Let's just go find some seats." Fran interrupted, trying to keep the peace between Rebecca and me.

We were lucky enough to get seats by the gates at the end of the arena though we had to sit pretty far up the bleachers. I don't think Becky or even Fran cared that much that we had such good seats. And I didn't really care what they thought. I turned to Fran and tried to explain why I was so excited about the seats.

"So that's where all the bull and bronco riders come out. We'll get to see it all from right here!"

"That's nice." Fran dismissed and I noticed her eyes were searching for something or someone. Becky was also looking around and I had no doubt she was looking for Soda. I was almost wishing I had gone by my self.

The place became more and more crowded as it got closer to starting. The usual shortness of breath and increased heartbeat followed. I would be ok as long as I focused on what was going on in the arena. That way I didn't really have time to notice just how many people were around me.

It was hot and muggy and we were facing the sun but I was having a blast. The announcer welcomed the crowd over the speaker and went through the usual routine of saying all the sponsors and individuals that were responsible for setting it up. Men on horses came out carrying the United States flag the state flag and everyone stood up for the nation anthem.

Finally the first event started, calf roping. It wasn't the most interesting of the events but I got a kick out of Fran and Becky gasping as the cowboys lassoed the calves and roughly threw them to the ground to tie three legs together. I tried explaining that it didn't hurt the calves but they didn't listen. I eagerly watched all the following timed events. There was team roping, barrel racing, and steer wrestling. It reminded of the ranch back home. Fran asked some questions about the Barrel racing because she knew a few of the girls that did it. Becky just ignored me. I had tried barrel racing a few times but I didn't like it very much. Those barrels could leave impressive bruises on legs. I kept an eye out, though it was more like half an eye out, for Soda or Steve. It took sometime to find them.

I saw them between the team roping and barrel racing. They were standing at the very front as close to the gates as possible. They looked rowdy and crazy with big grins on their faces. They were standing with some other boys I didn't recognize. I didn't see Dallas luckily.

I was about to point them out to Fran but stopped myself. Bull riding was up next and I wanted to watch it in peace.

The first bull rider was good and stayed on the required eight seconds, the second was thrown around four seconds in and the third got a bad bull that didn't perform very well. Each time a new rider was about to ride the announcer would state the guys name, age, and where he was from and the name of the bull. It was a smaller rodeo and most of the guys were locals.

"Next up," the announcer's voice came, "Is eighteen year old Dallas Winston. He's another one of Tulsa's. Today he'll be riding Fire Water."

I blinked.

"Did he just say Dallas Winston?" I asked Fran. How many Dallas Winston's could there be in the world?

"I think so." She said, I could tell she remembered that he was the one who slashed our tires.

"Well I hope the he breaks his neck." Becky said.

"That's not a nice thing to say Becky." Fran reprimanded. I agreed. I may have really disliked Dallas but that didn't mean I wanted him dead or even hurt. Well, maybe a little hurt, the kind a person heals from in a day or two. He did sort of deserve it.

The buzzer sounded and the gate opened. The bull was a big cream colored one with black spots all over it. The horns were long but the very tips had been removed so that they weren't as sharp. It came out bucking like crazy. Dallas was holding on with one gloved hand and my heart had to have been beating as fast as his was. The bull did a sharp turn in mid air and I saw the subtle shift in Dallas's weight. He was going to get bucked off. A few clever twists from the bull and he was thrown to the dirt. The buzzer signaling the eight seconds had passed buzzed only two seconds after he fell. The rodeo clowns did their jobs and distracted the bull and got it safely out of the arena. I looked back to Dallas. I couldn't tell what his mood was as he walked over to the railing. His face was flushed and he shook his hair out of his eyes.

"He was terrible!" Becky said gleefully.

"At least he didn't win." Fran joined.

"I'd like to see if either of you two could do any better." I hissed. They both looked at me with the same shocked faces. It didn't matter that they were trash- talking Dallas. It was more that Dallas was probably the second best so far but they were saying those things because he was a hood. They hadn't cared about any of the others.

"What is wrong with you today?" Fran asked. I sighed, not really knowing the answer.

"I'm sorry." I said, meaning it. "But it's just not right that you talk about people like that, just because they come from the wrong side of the tracks."

"Dallas Winston is a greasy JD." Becky said, "I'd spit on him if I had the guts and the chance."

"Dallas Winston is friends with Sodapop." I said, glaring at her.

"How the hell could you know that?" She growled and ignored Fran as she told her she shouldn't use language like that.

"How the hell don't you know that?" I shot back even as I realized it was childish. She sort of sputtered but I'd already had enough of her. I stood up.

"I'm getting a drink."

I really hated loosing my temper. I walked around outside the arena enjoying the soft ground under my feet as I cooled off. There was a bit of a line in front of the drink stand. I waited at the end thinking about Dallas. I had thought he was a city kid, not the type to be in a rodeo but I could see how it made sense. Riding a bull was a real rush and only tough men could do it. Maybe Dallas did it to look tough. Just as this thought crossed my mind I felt someone get in line behind me. The person, whoever he was, was standing really close. I could smell the smoke on his or her clothing. My heart rate increased as I started to feel closed in. I inched a little forward but couldn't go far because of the old man in front of me. I didn't have much room. The person followed me. I tilted my head to the side to get a look at the person. I quickly turned my head back forward when I saw the guy. Why in the world did Dallas have to be thirsty now! My breathing really picked up and I prayed to whatever was up there that he wouldn't notice me. I wasn't that lucky though.

"Don't you fucking ignore me." Dallas said. He roughly turned me by the elbow.

"Ouch!" I couldn't help but say.

I looked up into his eyes. I didn't have a single clue on what I was supposed to do. I stood there gasping softly as he glared down at me. He was still flushed from the ride and parts of his hair were soaked in sweat. He looked wild.

Why couldn't he leave me be?

"You better listen real good," He said lowly and deadly calm, "We don't need some stupid broad hangin' around. You got it?"

"W-w-what are y-you talk-" he cut me off.

"Stick to all those 'nice' Soc boys. Soda don't need any of your shit."

"S-soda?" What was he talking about?

"Don't play dumb." he warned. I tried swallowing the lump in my throat but it had suddenly gone dry.

"I'm not playing." I whispered, "I just thought Soda could be a f-friend."

"Bullshit." He said

"No! It's not." I pleaded. He took out and lit a cigarette looking cool as a cucumber, a dangerous, malicious cucumber.

"I-I don't have a lot of friends and Soda was really nice." I tried to explain.

"Poor you." He said, the words dripping with sarcasm. I got a little irritated. He once again blew smoke in my face.

"Fine!" I snapped, "Think whatever the hell you want to think! I know the truth and you don't know a single thing about me. You can take you're stupid warnings and shove them up your ass!"

I was positive he was going to hit me in that moment. I had definitely said too much. I had crossed the line and just kept going. Dallas stepped closer too me, eyes flashing. He was going to kill me. I could feel my heart beating against my ribcage. I could make a run for it. I could run really fast if I was being chased. He'd catch me. I just knew it.

"I-" I gasped. I didn't know how to get out of this. I felt hopeless.

"I-I'm s-sorry." I could feel tears forming in my eyes.

Dallas opened his mouth, he was way too close now, but a voice cut him off.

"Hey Dally! That was some ride! I thought that bull-" The guy stopped as he noticed me. I let out a huge sigh of relief. Who ever this guy was he was now my official hero. Dallas backed off but gave me a murderous look.

"Two-bit." He said tensely. Two-bit looked at Dallas then back at me and grinned.

"Ya know Dally, you shoudn' go kissing nice girls in public. It'll ruin your reputation." He laughed at his joke, obviously drunk.

My face grew hot. Dallas smacked Two-bit, hard.

"I ain't that stupid." He said.

"Jeez, Dally." he mumbled but got over it fast enough.

"I'm Two-bit." He held out his hand and swayed a little. I hesitantly shook it and pulled it away.

"Winnie."

"Ya know Winnie," he mock whispered, "You shouldn't go around not kissing hoods in public. It'll only help your reputation." He did a drunken impression of a wink. I gave a nervous laugh. It was kind of uncomfortable. It got quiet.

"Boys 'n me are gonna head to Buck's after the rodeo. We're gonna get smashed. I'm not near drunk enough" Two-bit said after a while. I thought the last part might have been a joke. I didn't think he needed to drink anymore.

"You're-" he hiccupped, "up." He pointed behind me. I had forgotten I was in line still.

"Oh." I said lamely. I ordered a Pepsi.

I waited for the girl to get my drink. I didn't turn back to Dallas and Two-bit.

"Hey Winnie!" He called, loudly especially considering he was right behind me. I looked back at him.

"You wanna go get ripped?" He asked. He received another smack from Dallas.

"No, she ain't invited."

I wanted to point out that I just was invited but bit my tongue.

"No, thanks." I said softly. The girl handed me my drink. I gave Two-bit a weird little goodbye nod. I looked at Dallas as I walked past him but this time he ignored me.

**Ok, so Two-bit has been the hardest character for me to write because in the book Pony mentions that he either tells things like they are when he tells a joke or that he's got a scatterbrained sense of humor. And that he's almost always telling jokes. In the film he was less like that and more like a normal guy with a few jokes and a good friend. I'm not good at writing humor yet so I went with the film version of him, or tried to. I'm not happy with his character at the moment.**

**And I vaguely remember Cherry saying that it was too bad Dally couldn't ride bull as well as he could speak it. That's where I got the idea to put him in a rodeo. Kinda random.**

**I'm asking nicely for you to review. Pleeeaassee?**


	5. Momentum Part 2

**Author's Note…I like this chapter. It's nothing special or anything but I just like how I picture it in my head. **

**This used to be part of the previous chapter so it's pretty short.**

**Once again I cannot thank my reviewers enough! You may not think it but your comments do make me happy even if it's only a few words. (Though I do love the long ones)**

**Sorry for any spelling errors…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders. I do own Winnie, Fran, Becky and any other OOC's and the story plot is all my own ideas.**

**REVIEW! I'm getting like 40 hits but only 3 reviews! Show me you guys can do better. I dare you.**

When I got back to our seats I was surprised to see that Fran and Becky were no longer sitting there. I briefly thought that they had left me but I knew Fran was too nice of a person to do that. I sat down, assuming that they had gone to the bathroom. The bull riding had finished a while ago so I watched the first cowboy as he came out of the gate on a saddled bronco. It wasn't until half way through the event that I noticed the girls had been gone for almost fifteen minutes. That was too long for a bathroom visit. My eyes immediately went to the front where I last saw Soda standing. Sure enough I saw my cousin and Becky standing right by him. I got a little peeved at that. They could have at least told me what they were doing or waved me down, or something!

I waited for the last saddled bronco- riding cowboy to get thrown off the wild horse before I made my way down the stairs to the front. As I got closer I was able to hear Soda's voice as he yelled with his friends. He was making a lewd joking involving some girl named Chelsea and the hard ride that horse just got. It made me blush and to be honest I was caught off guard at how crazy they were all acting. Rodeos had a way of getting boys riled up and these weren't exactly innocent mommas boys to begin with.

I reached the group and snuck past Becky and Fran since I was still upset with them. They were sitting in the first row and I walked behind them. Soda and the others were standing. He saw me out of the corner of his eye and gave me a huge, toothy smile.

"Winifred!" He called and I wondered if he was drunk like Two-bit.

"Hey…" I said quietly as I felt Fran and Becky look at me. Did Soda great them as enthusiastically?

"Enjoyin' yourself?" He sort of yelled. I laughed at how ridiculous he was behaving.

"You could say that… Have you been drinking?" I asked casually.

"Nah… I don't drink. I just love a good rodeo!" He explained. I nodded and looked past him. Dallas was standing over by Steve and they were both watching the bareback bronco event. Steve was wild and hollering and Dally was acting cool like usual. Two-bit was drinking from a bottle hidden in a brown paper bag. There was another guy I didn't know with wheat blonde hair and I could tell he was the closet to an actual cowboy. Soda saw me looking at the other guys and explained who they were.

"That guy with the sideburns is my buddy Two-bit, he goes to school with my brother and the blond is Buck. He's kinda friends with Dally." He rushed keeping his eyes on the cowboy and horse in the arena. I didn't tell him I already met Two-bit. Soda yelled joyfully and hooted as the cowboy jumped off the horse after the buzzer sounded. I clapped along halfheartedly; my night was pretty much ruined by now. I felt someone tug my shirt. I looked down to Fran.

"Have you cooled down?" She asked. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah." I said shortly. I hadn't really but I didn't want to deal with it.

"Hey Winnie." I looked up surprised to see Steve had come over to say hello. I hadn't really thought the tough greaser remembered me.

"Hi." I said quietly. We didn't way anything to each other as we watched the rodeo.

"They have wild cow milking?" I asked happily as I saw the rodeo clown setting everything up. Steve gave me a weird look.

"It's…it's my favorite event. I always laugh really hard." I said trying to recover from my sudden outburst. Wild cow milking was exactly what it sounded like. There were usually four to six wild cows that needed milking and groups of volunteers had to catch and milk the cow. Whatever group managed to get the most milk by the end won. Steve sort of chuckled at me but it wasn't warm like Soda but not as cold as I imagined Dallas's laugh would be. He was somewhere in the middle.

"It is pretty entertainin'." He said. When it started I wasn't disappointed. The cowboys were running all over the place trying to get hold of a cow. The cows were running all over the place trying to make it as hard for the cowboys as possible. It was like something I'd see in s circus or comedy show if it were possible. Tears were running down my face as I laughed. Steve was laughing too and I could hear Soda and Two-bit laughing as well. I tried not to think about what anyone else was doing.

Two teams managed to hold onto their cows, the rest continued to run around trying to catch up. Soon enough one of the teams filled their bucket and was declared the winners.

"We gotta try that sometime Steve." Soda said, still amped up.

"Get me good 'n drunk and maybe." Steve responded. I'd pay to see them do wild cow milking. Slowly the arena started clearing out but we stayed by the front, waiting for the worst of the crowds to dissipate. Becky had stood up and moved past me to try to talk with Soda. I rolled my eyes at her. She really didn't know when to give up. I watched her as she batted her eyelashes and giggled at something Soda said. I tried not to laugh at the annoyed look on Steve's face but a small snort managed to escape. It must not have been that quiet though because I caught Dallas look at me. I looked back to Becky, Soda, and Steve and tried even harder not to laugh. Steve was making mouthing motions behind Becky's back at me though he was still annoyed. I gave him a sympathetic shrug and smiled. He rolled his eyes and went to talk to Two-bit and the other guy Buck. WE began to move over to the crowed exist. Dallas was still giving me a blank look. It was getting annoying. I decided to ignore him and turned to Fran. She was giving me a very disapproving look.

"What?" I asked.

"You're unusually friendly." She whispered and I had to lean over to hear her above all the chatter going on around us.

"What do you mean?" I thought I was doing really well at acting normal.

"Considering that it's you I mean. And you shouldn't give Becky such a hard time."

"I treat her like she treats me." I defended myself, my voice growing louder.

"Well maybe you should try to be the better person." She walked a little ahead of me. The crowd had cleared enough that we could make our way outside. The sun was just starting to set in the west.

Fran and I walked behind the boys and Becky. We were only walking for a few minutes until Becky spotted something and abruptly said good-bye to Soda. She walked to us and grabbed Fran's arm and practically dragged her some distance off. I sort of stopped somewhere in the middle unsure of what to do. Then I understood what was going on.

"Becky! Fran! I thought I saw you girls." Came a feminine voice. I recognized the girl as one that Fran would often go shopping with. She was rich like Becky and had been voted Homecoming queen. I saw her give Soda and the rest of the greasers a dirty look. She was the reason Becky had moved away from Soda so fast. She didn't want to be seen with him in front of someone from her own class. Fran motioned me over. I was about to go when I heard Dallas whisper in my ear.

"Run along little girl." How had he gotten so close? Fran's eyes widened as she saw Dallas so close to me. Soda and Steve had also stopped, I assumed to wait for Dallas. I looked back at Fran. She pointed to the spot right next to her. It was a clear order to get over there. Becky and the other girl looked over as well. They looked like they had smelled something foul. I don't know why, maybe it was because they were being hypocrites or that I just wanted to be stubborn for stubborn's sake but I turned around. I looked up at Dallas.

"No." I said calmly to Dallas. He straightened, looking mildly surprised for a second. Then a sly grin graced his face.

"Feel like being a rebel?" He asked though his voice held nothing but contempt, "Gonna rub elbows with all us victims' of society?"

"No." I said again, "I j-just don't like the two blondes over there." I said and walked past him.

"Winnie!" I heard Fran call.

"I'll meat you at the car." I called back, "When you've finished socializing." I walked up to Soda and Steve with Dallas trailing me.

"Thanks for talking to me." I said without thinking then mentally cringed at how pathetic I sounded.

"W-what I mean is thanks…for talking…with me?" I said not meaning for it to sound like a question. Soda gave me one of his understanding smiles.

"You dig ok, Winnie." He said, and even though it wasn't much I felt a nice bit of warm spread through my body. It seemed as though I had made an actual friend.

"Well, I'll see you around…maybe." I started to walk off but Two-bit stopped me.

"Hey now! There are some real no good characters around." He said with mock outrage, "And us, being outstanding citizens, will walk you to your car."

"Oh no! My car is really far." Again with the rhyming.

"All the more reason to walk you." Two-Bit countered. I gave up. We started walking in the direction of the car. Steve and Two-bit were arguing about something involving what car was better in a drag race. I didn't even bother trying to understand what they were talking about. Soda would throw in some comments when he saw fit and Dallas was trailing behind us, probably with a scowl on his face.

"You ever go to races?" Soda asked suddenly and I found everyone looking at me.

"Uh… ha…no…" I said.

"Why not?" Steve asked like he was offended. I opened my mouth to answer but Dallas beat me to it.

" 'Cause good girls don' do shit like that." He was glaring at me. "Bet she's never been drunk, or in the back seat of a boy's car. Hell, she probably don' smoke either."

It got quiet as my face got red. I thought that Soda might stand up for me but he didn't. I guess no one stood up to Dallas Winston if they were smart.

"Stop talking about me like you know me. It isn't any of your business anyways."

I guess I wasn't so smart.

He walked slowly over to me and I noticed the other boys shift nervously and exchange looks. I gulped; I just kept doing things wrong around Dallas. He looked like he was going to say something but didn't. I just stood there, wide-eyed and silent. He was standing in front of me glaring. His body was tense and he angrily ran a hand through his messy hair. He kicked the dirt and cursed.

"Stupid fucking broads!"

He stormed off. I just watched him go, completely confused. Steve whistled and Soda laughed a bit nervously.

"He'll be lookin' to fight." Two-bit said.

"Yeah, bet you it'll be Buck or Tim." Steve added.

Soda didn't say anything and we continued walking to my car. I wanted to ask about him. Ask why he disliked me so much when I hadn't even done a single thing to him. I'd be perfectly happy if I never saw him again.

"Dally hates the world." Soda suddenly spoke. I looked at his face. He wasn't smiling now.

"Why? Is his life so horrible?" I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"It used to be. He spent a couple of years in New York. And some months back he- we- almost lost a really good friend." His voice was guarded as he told me this.

"Almost? Is your friend ok now?"

He shrugged, "We hear he's doin' better."

I wanted to press further but I got the impression Soda didn't want to talk about it anymore. I changed the subject.

"I-I'm really sorry about Becky. She shouldn't have ditched you like that."

That got a laugh out of Soda.

"Ha! I'm glad she did. She's a cute girl n' all but ain't something I wanna deal with. Socs' ain't nothing but trouble."

"Ain't that the truth." Two-bit joined.

"Am I a soc?" I asked. I didn't believe in grouping people into the two classes but I was curious. I wanted to know if everyone saw me like Dallas did. They laughed at that.

"Nah," Steve finally said, "You ain't snooty enough."

"That's not what Dallas thinks." I muttered bitterly. They didn't hear me luckily.

"You're a sheep in wolf's clothing." Two-bit said.

"You mean wolf in sheep's clothing." I corrected though that didn't fit me at all.

"Nope. I meant sheep in wolf's clothing all right. A sweet girl like you hanging with us hoodlums…or a sweet little girl hanging out with the snobbish Socials." He laughed as he talked about the socs. I snorted at my apparent lose lose situation.

"It's only a matter of time before I get eaten." I only partially joked. Two-bit laughed. We reached my car. I quickly glanced at the tires and calmed down when I saw they were all perfectly fine and slash free.

"Thanks for walking me." I said lamely. The three of them said their good-byes and kept on walking. I could hear their laughing, joking voices as they disappeared. I didn't have the keys so I leaned against the side of the car and watched the end of the sunset.

**I'm a little surprised nobody has asked about Johnny. He's one of my favorite characters… **

**I read a story the other day (not an outsiders story) and one reviewer had criticized the author about changing a character's personality slightly and it was a really cruel, harsh flame. So all I'm going to say is that this is fan fiction and while I try and like keeping everyone in character I also understand that people change with time and different life experiences. So it's ok to use that and your creative license on your story and change the characters to some degree. Just do it tastefully. **

**I DARE YOU TO REVIEW! Don't be a chicken! **


	6. Momentum Part 3

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait but work, insomnia, and the World Cup (GO GERMANY!) have kept me away. This chapter jumps a little bit time wise but I wanted some time to pass for everything to settle down before the next stage.**

**Disclaimer: The Outsiders are not mine. Winnie, Fran, and Uncle Todd are….**

The drive back to Becky's house felt longer than it should have. Fran drove quietly but Becky just wouldn't stop talking.

"I can not believe you!" She ranted from the front seat. I rolled my eyes and ignored her. She continued anyway.

"That was so embarrassing! Now everyone's going to think I associate with dirty greasers. Why couldn't you have just played it cool?" She hissed at me. Personally, I thought she was overreacting.

"You do associate with greasers." I deadpanned. I was tired and had had enough of Becky's annoying voice for one night.

"No one needs to know." Becky replied like it was so obvious. I shrugged, "It doesn't really matter anyway. I'm pretty sure you don't have a chance with Soda." So maybe I was being a little cruel. Fran sort of gasped and looked at me with wide eyes through the rearview mirror. Becky whipped around in her seat and glared at me.

"Oh I don't? And I bet you think you do?"

"No!" I snapped. Why did everyone think I was interested in Sodapop?

"If you want Soda then maybe you shouldn't let your precious reputation get in the way! Say you and him somehow started going steady what are you going to tell your friends?" I asked, my voice slightly louder than it needed to be.

She apparently didn't have an answer because she turned around and was silent. I huffed and leaned my forehead against the window. When we reached Becky's house she got out with a quick 'see you at school' to Fran and I climbed into the front seat. My cousin and I didn't talk until we were almost out of town.

"I don't understand what's gotten into you Win." Fran said softly without looking at me. There was something in her voice that suddenly made me feel ashamed.

"I wanted you to make friends." She went on, "But I didn't mean friends that are criminals. Those boys are just to wild and out of control for good girls like us."

I took a second to think about what she was saying. Maybe she was right. At least she was when it came to Dallas Winston. I wasn't so sure about Steve and I didn't even know Two-bit. Soda was wild and crazy and a greaser but deep down he really was a good guy. After a few minutes I spoke.

"Why do you bother with them?" I asked, getting more irritated. She hesitated and I could tell she was struggling with her feelings.

"I guess…I think it's because I want the whole greaser and Soc thing to go away too. I know it isn't right an' all." She paused and gave a weary sigh, "But it's reality ya know? We can't change the way things are so we just have to live with them." Fran looked at me, pleading for me to understand. I wanted to yell at her, say that she was wrong and that I could change the world and so could she if she wanted. Instead, I held my tongue and looked at the road as it turned to the gravel of our driveway.

It had been two weeks since I'd gone into town. Fran and I hadn't been spending nearly as much time together though we still spoke when we were in the car or home. The conversations were light and superficial and somewhat forced. We both needed time to cool off. I hadn't seen Soda or Dallas since the rodeo and I was almost starting to miss Soda. I told myself that I didn't know Soda well or long enough to miss him but I did anyway. There was something comfortable with Soda. I didn't miss Dallas at all, though I found myself thinking about him quiet a bit. I'd catch myself thinking about him when I smelled the leather of a saddle or jacket or when I looked at the new tires on the car. Little things would trigger the memory of one of our run ins and my mind would wander. I'd think about things I could have said or done to him and how different things could be now.

Luckily I didn't have too much free time. Uncle Todd had gotten not only the mare he'd been interested in but also a young stud horse that was in need of some attention. The mare was a seven-year-old quarter horse called Calypso. I liked the gray mare a lot; she had a smooth gait and nice temperament. The stud was different. He was young and stubborn and as black as a horse could get. He was a though bred and Uncle Todd had named him King's Ransom. When Todd wasn't around I called him King Jackass. On the weekends I'd spend the days taking Calypso or my own horse, Ronny, out for some exercise. I tried riding King but after spending so much time with Ronnie and Calypso I usually didn't have the energy to work with him. Uncle Todd also tried working with King but he'd strained a back muscle working on the farm and needed time to recover. So that left me with three horses that needed to be exercised and a fourth, Old Girl, who just needed some love and affection.

Uncle Todd said he would look into finding someone he could pay to work the horses more so they wouldn't get fat and so I could rest and focus on school. Fran made a comment that it should be easy to find someone that would be willing to ride horses and get paid for it. As soon as she said that my mind went right to Soda. He liked rodeos and had asked me about my horses before and had seemed a little horse crazy. Maybe he could be the one to ride King…Or know someone that was.

So exactly three weeks after the rodeo I found myself driving into town in search of Sodapop. It took a couple wrong turns but I managed to find the DX he worked at. I saw him standing next to a car surrounded by four or five girls. It looked like he was telling a joke because all the girls were laughing or giggling and twirling their hair or fluttering their lashes. I pulled the car up behind the one with the girls and parked it smiling at the show in front of me. The girls looked star struck and Soda looked smug and confident but still somehow charming and approachable. I jumped at a tap on my window. I looked up to see Steve smirking down at me. Instead of rolling down the window I turned the engine off and got out.

"Well if it ain't the little country princess." Steve said, I couldn't tell if he was teasing me or subtly trying to tell me I didn't belong here. I gave a little awkward smile and shuffled my feet. I managed a small "Hi, Steve." And was quiet. It got uncomfortable as I stood there looking at the ground and Steve stood there looking at me.

"So…what brings ya here?" Steve asked a little impatiently.

I blushed, "I-I wanted to talk to Soda about something."

He raised an eyebrow and I blushed even harder knowing he probably thought I had a crush on Soda like everyone seemed to think.

"It's about a job." I rushed out.

"He's got a job." Steve didn't sound very enthusiastic.

"I know. He could do this job and the one I'm offering."

"What's the job?"

I shrugged, "Riding horses." Steve gave a short laugh at that and I noticed it gained the attention of Soda and the girls. Soda grinned at me and waved. I sort of jerked my hand in a wave like fashion back at him.

"Hey Soda!" Steve yelled still chuckling slight, "C'mere!"

The girls didn't look very happy and Soda came loping over to Steve and me.

"Hey there Winnie! You ain't been around." Soda said. For some reason I blushed yet again.

"I've been really busy."

"She said she's got a proposal for ya Soda." Steve said. Soda looked at me expectantly.

"Um…" I started, "My Uncle got two new horses….", that got Soda's attention fast, "And then he got hurt. Not cause of the horses or anything but now I'm the only one who can ride them but I just don't have enough time."

"So what's the job?" Soda asked and I could tell he was getting a little more excited.

"My Uncle said he could pay you every time you took one of our horses on a ride."

"I'd get paid to ride horses!" Soda asked like he could really believe it. I nodded. Soda was grinning from ear to ear and I found myself grinning too. But slowly the grin slipped away and he looked disappointed.

"What's the matter?" Steve asked. Soda sighed, "I ain't got the time. I'm working full time here and Pony's still been acting kinda off."

Steve looked a little peeved, glanced at me then took Soda by the arm and moved a little bit away from me. I got the hint and moved back to give them some more privacy. The talked quietly for a few minutes and I watched the girls send me appraising looks. They were pretty and clearly middle class and I wondered if Soda was actually interested in any of them. The boys came back.

"How often would your uncle need me to come by?" Soda asked.

"I don't know really, at least once a week. More if that's possible." I answered. Soda smiled again, "How 'bout this, I'll come by every Sunday and I'll try for Saturdays after I'm done here. If I can't I'll ask Dally. He likes to ride too."

I felt my stomach drop, "D-Dally? Like Dallas? Like Winston Dallas?" Soda gave me a funny look and laughed, "Yeah, like Winston Dallas."

"Uh, I don't know. Do you think Dallas would…" I trailed off not knowing how to say 'Do think Dallas would be the best choice since he's kinda crazy and dangerous and I don't want him to know where I live' in a polite way.

"Dally will do just about anything for some cash." Soda said trying to reassure me.

"He _has_ done just about anything." I heard Steve mumble. Soda chose to ignore his friend.

"So?" He asked and his big brown eyes looked so hopeful that I literally couldn't say no.

"Ok." I finally relented. I would just have to pray that Dallas turned the offer down. Soda clapped his hands once and Steve gave him a congratulatory slap on the back. And went to finish up with the girls. I grabbed a piece of paper from the car and gave it to Soda.

"These are directions to the farm and a number so if you want to call my Uncle and discuss how much you get paid per session or per horse or whatever. He's pretty easy to deal with."

He gave me a dazzling smile, "Thanks Winnie."

My face grew hot, "Sure, figured you liked horses and I don't really know anyone else."

"Right, well I gotta get back to work." Soda said backing away from me but still smiling. I raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Hey Soda?" I asked when he was standing next to Steve by the now vacant gas pump.

"Yeah?"

"My car still needs gas."

Soda called Uncle Todd on Wednesday while I was in school and they had figured everything out. Fran didn't have anything to say about me asking Soda to help with King and I didn't mention that Dallas might also make an appearance or two. I woke up early on Sunday for once and got ready for a good day of riding. It was always nice to go riding with someone, the fact that that someone was Soda just made it better. I ate breakfast and spoke with Fran and my uncle and was out the door as soon as I'd finished. I spent an hour rubbing down Old Girl and another hour saddling up Ronny and riding him around the barn a few times. I was sitting up in the hayloft looking out the window with my sketchbook when I saw a bright red car driving up the rode. It's top was down I recognized Soda's well-greased hair sitting in the passenger's seat. I growled as I saw who the driver was.

Driving like a madman and smoking a cigarette was Dallas Winston. I hadn't expected to see him so soon. He slammed the car to a stop in front of the house and I leaned back to hide in the shadows of the loft and watched my Uncle come out from the house. He shook hands with Soda and offered Dallas his hand but Dallas ignored it and leaned against the hood of the car. I rolled my eyes at his rude behavior. I saw my Uncle motion for Soda and Dallas to follow him as he started towards the barn. I scrambled away from the window and over to the ladder. I had just reached the ground when I heard my Uncle voice from just out side the barn.

"…King isn't too fond of Ronny…" He voice got louder as they got closer and I ran to the back of the barn where I had put Ronny. I didn't want them to know I had been spying. I had just made it to the Appaloosa when my uncle slid the barn door open.

"Oh Winifred! I was wondering where you'd gone to." Uncle Todd said. I was about to reply but then Dallas saw me.

"What the hell is she doin' here?" He hissed at Soda. I raised my eyebrows in shock. Had Soda not told him whom he was working for?

"She's the girl." Soda said a little sheepish. Dallas glared at me. I couldn't help but feel satisfied that instead of him surprising me and popping up out of nowhere I was the one surprising him. Uncle Todd looked really uncomfortable. He kept looking at Dallas then me then Dallas. Finally he mumbled, "Well my niece can show you the ropes." And walked out. I sighed and smiled at Soda, "You brought…him." Soda's eyes sparkled as he walked over to me.

"Thought it'd be a good idea. This way you only have to show us the ropes once." I nodded at his logic.

"This is fucking ridiculous." Dallas bit out. He took out a cigarette and lit it in a few short seconds.

"Are you stupid?" I asked before I could stop my self. I rushed over to his side and yanked to thing out of his mouth and stomped on it a few good times.

"You can't smoke in a barn! Especially a barn filled with hay!" I looked up once the danger of a fire was gone. I gulped as I came face to chest with Dallas. I had ended up closer to him than I wanted. It had gone deadly quiet in the barn and I got the feeling even the horses were holding their breath. I made to take a step back but Dallas clamped a hand around my upper arm and forced me to look at him. I looked at him wide eyed and scared stiff. I heard Soda come over to us and stand beside Dallas and me. I don't think he knew what to do. That made two of us.

"I'm getting tired of your shit." He said lowly in my face. "No one. I mean no one talks to me like that. The only reason I haven't beaten you to a fucking pulp is cause you're a broad and I ain't a fuckin' coward and I don't get off slappin' girls around." He leaned in even more and I saw Soda tense from the corner of my eye. I fought back tears

"You better learn to keep your trap shut."

For some reason I snapped. I just started laughing, hard. I was also crying.

"Winnie?" I heard Soda ask worriedly.

"I'm s-sorry." I said between laughs, "No one has ever told me…I-I need to learn to keep my mouth shut before."

Dallas gave my arm a sharp tug and that stopped my laughing fit.

"Don't. Laugh. At. Me. Ever. Again." Dallas said. His fingers dug into my skin and I wiped the tears from my face.

"And don't ever tell me what to do." He finally let go and I stumbled away from him. I looked at Soda who for once looked upset.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly to Dallas. "I-I just got scared when you started smoking."

His hard expression didn't change.

"You- it could have started a fire." I noticed something change in his expression. "Fires are dangerous and people get hurt and then there are the horses… I didn't want there to be a fire." I finished. I couldn't tell what he was thinking though the stormy look was gone. Finally he looked down and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"I-" he started but growled and shifted his weight anxiously. He let out a harsh breath of air. I looked on in wonder, was he about to apologize?

"Just show us what the fuck we're supposed to do." He finally hissed. I took a step towards him. "We're you about to apo-"

"Horses!" Soda loudly cut me off. I blinked realizing he had just stopped me from saying yet another stupid thing to Dallas Winston. I looked at him and he was looking at me pointedly.

"Right, over here." I walked back to Ronny. I chanced a glance at Dallas. He looked at me briefly with a completely blank expression before focusing on the horse. I couldn't help but smile, it wasn't a smile but it wasn't a 'I want to kill you' glare either. Things could have ended up worse.

**I hope there were enough Soda, Steve, and Dallas in this chapter. Dallas has made a habit of making pretty short appearances in the chapters but that's going to change soon… And there has been some mention of people liking the Soda/Winnie idea; sadly this is still going to be a Dallas/ Winnie story. Soda has his own girl and plot forming at the moment:) She has actually already made an appearance in this story but I'm not going to say who she was. But I might tell you if you guess it correctly.**

**Thanks once again to my AWESOME, INCREDIBLE, WONDERFUL, LOVELY, COOL, NEAT, NIFTY, AMAZING, and HELPFUL reviewers! Please keep it up…or start it if you haven't reviewed yet. I seriously do happy dances for every review. I'm not kidding and I love to dance.**


	7. Feeling Part 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own or make a profit from The Outsiders. Winnie, Fran, Becky, Uncle Todd and a few others belong to me.**

**I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes.**

Soda had situated himself between Dallas and me as I showed them the tack room where all the saddles, bridles, and grooming supplies were kept. Soda was enthusiastic and I could tell he couldn't wait to see the horses. I snuck looks back at Dallas when I thought it was safe. He looked bored and slightly distracted which I thought was strange. Dallas Winston didn't seem like the kind of boy that was ever distracted but I had to remind myself that I didn't know anything about him. Soda caught me looking at him once when I had failed to answer a question. He looked slowly to Dallas then back to me. I don't know why but I blushed like a little girl and continued showing them around the barn.

"So this is Old Girl. She's obviously too old to ride but, uh, I like her so…yeah." I said lamely as I pointed her out. Old Girl perked her ears up as she saw us and leaned her head outside her door. Soda immediately began stroking her muzzle and neck. He was whispering things to her and I saw her relax. Dallas gave her a brief look and nothing else. That kind of got under my skin: I liked Old Girl. She was the sweetest horse I'd ever met and I felt that if Dallas gave her the chance she could get him to warm up. He only had to give her a chance. I walked over to Calypso who was to busy munching on her hay to pay us much attention.

"This is Calypso. She's new but seems to be a good horse." I told Soda. I decided I was going to pretend Dallas wasn't there until he made some sort of verbal sounds.

"She's got a good build…" Soda commented. I nodded in agreement. I loud whinny from further down reminded me that there were still two more horses to go. I grinned as I walked over to Ronny. He was stretching his long neck as far as he could out of the stall to observe us.

"Attention hog." I muttered affectionately as I rubbed all over his face.

"This is Ronny. Brought him with me all the way from Montana." I said with only a little bit of pride.

"Hey boy." Soda said softly as he walked up to the horse. Ronny gave Soda an appraising look and allowed the handsome boy to pet him.

"He's short in the front." I looked up quickly, surprised that Dallas had decided to speak.

"His legs could be straighter too."

I glared at him. I knew Ronny didn't have a great build but I was all mine. I didn't like people insulting my horse and took it as a person offense. I really wanted to slap him but instead I took a deep breath and slowly let it out. I had already pressed my luck with the hood enough for one day.

"Moving on." I ground out and walked aver to King's stall which was across from Ronny's. King tossed his head when he saw us and I rolled my eyes.

"This monster is King's Ransom."

"Now," Soda said, impressed, "That is a horse."

I shrugged, "He's a pain sometimes. He's temperamental and has bad manners."

"Maybe you don't know how to handle him." Dallas said wolfishly. I blushed again but looked him in the eye.

"Maybe I don't want to bother." I growled.

"That's lazy of you." He countered and I gave a huff. He was lecturing me?

"Why would I bother with a hot-tempered, rude horse like King when I could ride a well-mannered friendly horse instead?" I asked as I placed my hands on my hips. Dallas lifted one shoulder in a semi-shrug, "Same reason all broads fantasize about hoods and JDs." His voice had lowered and turned husky. I had to lean in to hear, "They get off on the challenge."

I smirked, "You're right, most girls do have a thing for boys that are no good for them. Lucky for me I know better. So how about I leave the challenges to you and Soda?"

"I'm up for it!" Soda suddenly said. I winced as I realized that I had forgotten he was actually right there. He tended to blend into the background when Dallas and I spoke.

"I'm goin' out for a smoke." Dallas snapped as he headed towards the door. It was quiet for a moment after he was gone. Then Soda suddenly started smiling and chuckled lightly.

I stood there with a confused smile, "What?"

"Watching you and Dally is more enertainin' then the movies." He said joyfully.

"You've gone crazy." I said only half kidding.

"I've always been crazy, but I mean it. I mean, at the time, when it's happening it's near impossible to watch. I never can tell how far things'll go but after I notice how funny it was."

"I don't see what's funny about Dallas Winston. He's the most difficult person I've met. Ever." I couldn't hide the slight bitterness in my voice. Soda was still smiling at me.

"Don't tell anyone," He mock whispered, "But I think Dally thinks the same thing about you."

I blinked, "Yep, you're crazy."

"Dally's good at figuring people out… knowing what their intentions are and readin' 'em. I don't think he can do that with you, savvy?" He sounded genuine. I sort of nodded my head without thinking about it.

"Let's get the horses saddled up." I suggested. Soda's warm eyes lit up even more.

"Can I try out King?" He asked. I laughed at his enthusiasm and nodded.

"I'm really sorry." I said quickly as we walked to the tack room.

"Why?" He asked.

"You always seem to witness Dallas and me…" I struggled to find the right word,"…bickering."

Soda laughed and ruffled my already out of control hair, "I'm getting used to it." I tried to keep the pleased yet surprised look off my face.

Dallas came back as Soda and I were struggling to safely groom and saddle King. I was holding Kings lead rope while nursing the two fingers he had managed to nip. There were already bruises forming. Dallas saw this and muttered a curse at me as he grabbed the rope out of my hand. I stood back as I watched the two boys work on the horse. Soon enough King was saddled and ready to go. Soda led him outside and into a fenced in area. I bit my lip. I had a bad feeling about this.

An hour later and Soda was still alive. Not only was he alive, he was having a great time and I suspected that King was as well. There was some struggling at first but finally Soda got control and things had been smooth ever since. I had a big grin on my face and I was leaning on the fence. I could see Dallas out of the corner of my eye. He was watching everything from the hood of his car as he smoked a cigarette. I had offered to saddle Calypso for him but he sort of scoffed at me and walked away. Soda was laughing as he urged King in to a canter then a full on gallop. I laughed too simply enjoying the fun view.

"What are ya doin'?" Soda yelled as he brought King up to the fence where I was standing. I gave him a confused look.

"Standing…" I said slowly. Soda playfully rolled his eyes at me.

"Don't cha think the other horses are getting' a little jealous?" He said. It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"My horses are above jealousy." I said, faking snobbiness. He laughed and muttered a 'yeah, right'.

"Alright, I'll go grab Ronny…" I mumbled with a smile on my face.

As I was walking towards the barn I heard footsteps come up behind me and glanced over my shoulder. Dallas was sauntering his way over. I tried not to growl at him and walked inside.

"I really bring out the best in you huh?" He said sarcastically as he finally caught up to me. I glared at him, still remembering his comment about Ronny's legs.

"Is there a reason you followed me?" I asked as I tightened Ronny saddle. Dallas' eyes grew hard.

"I don't follow nobody." He said lowly. I cringed at his grammar. I took a deep breath, trying to keep calm.

"Fine. So what are you doing not following me into the barn?"

"When is your Dad gonna pay me?" He said.

"Uncle, not Dad." I corrected.

"Whatever."

This time I didn't manage to hold in my growl. Dallas smirked, probably enjoying getting under my skin.

"I don't think he's going to pay you. At least not today." I said sweetly.

"Soda said we were gonna get paid-" Dallas started, clearly agitated but I cut him off.

"Oh, Soda's going to get paid, he's actually done something. What have you done?" I looked him dead in the eye. I almost wanted him to argue just so I could pick a fight. He didn't, instead he stood there with a mean look on his face.

"I'll tell you what you've done." I took a step closer, "You nearly, almost burnt down the barn, wasted my time, and insulted my horse." I poked him in the chest.

"I said I was sorry about the barn!" Dallas said, his voice growing louder.

"No you didn't!" I was almost to the point of yelling.

"Well I ain't gonna apologize to you or nobody. Specially for shit I didn't even do!" He was getting angrier but so was I.

"Just did what? What the hell are you talkin' about?"

"You just apologized." I said, "Not directly, but you did show intent to apologize".

"I take it back." He growled out. His body was tense and his fists were clenched and for the first time I noticed he wasn't wearing his brown leather jacket I always saw him in. That's when I noticed his left arm. It was scarred around the elbow and down a ways on his forearm. I couldn't tell if it was a burn scar or scars from a car accident but it looked like it had been painful. I quickly looked back at his face, knowing he wouldn't appreciate me commenting on it. His eyes were the darkest I had ever seen them and it really did scare me. I took a step back and bumped into Ronny. The horse gave an indignant grunt but stayed put.

"I'm sorry I almost burnt down the barn." He said slowly and somewhat painfully. I stopped breathing for a second.

"W-what?" I asked, shocked.

"I'm not gonna repeat myself."

"O-okay…just, wow." Was all I could think to say.

"Shut up." He ordered.

"Alright." I was still slightly dazed by him actually saying sorry.

"Nobody better hear about this." He threatened. I nodded vigorously to show I understood. I briefly wondered if Soda was good at keeping secrets but knew it didn't matter since I wasn't going to tell him.

"D-did you get that scar in a fire?" I asked as timidly as I could, trying to keep him calm. He was still unbelievably tense.

"Yeah." Was his short, curt reply?

"Would you tell me about it?" I asked, thinking I was making progress.

"No."

"Did…you start the fire?" I asked, hoping that he would say no again. I think my question amused him because a little bit a tension eased out of his shoulders and he smirked dangerously at me.

"No." His voice was a little less harsh.

"Ok. That's all that matters." I knew that wasn't true. I had a million other questions about it. I turned and faced Ronny. I should have known turning my back on Dallas was a dumb thing to do. Suddenly I felt him right behind me. He wasn't touching me but I could feel his heat and his breath against my hair as he spoke. I gasped and huddled closer to my horse.

"Don't go askin' too many questions." He said, "Simple little girl like you wont like the answers."

I turned around. My face was level with his chin.

"I'm not simple. I know how some things work." My voice was dry. "I know there's a lot of bad things in the world and that sometimes it's better not knowing." I shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

"And sometimes it is."

It was quiet for a while and I breathed a sigh of relief when Dallas finally stepped away from me.

"I ain't leavin' without gettin' paid." He said finally, "I'll go saddle up the mare." And he left. I grabbed Ronny's reins and walked him out of the barn, trusting Dallas to know what to do.

"Wooha. Bout time Little Winnie." Soda yelled when he saw me. I forced a smile but Soda looked right through it.

"Where's Dally?" He asked.

"Getting Calypso ready." I said, I breathed in the fresh air and felt a little better. Soda nodded but continued to give me a worried look. I double checked Ronny's gear and hopped onto the saddle. I gave him an affectionate pat on his neck.

"I don't think you have bad legs." I said to him. He was a little more fidgety than normal but I blamed that on him being nervous around King. Soda and I rode the horses around for a bit and exchanged small talk. He mentioned his brothers and I talked about all the horses on the ranch back in Montana. We avoided the heavy topics, like Dallas. We didn't have to wait long before Dallas came out leading Calypso.

"Any good places to ride around here?" He asked and I assumed he was addressing me. I shrugged, remembering the fun trails back home.

"Not really."

"Well I ain't ridin' in circles." He said as he mounted the horse. I sighed and looked back at Soda. The blonde gave me a grin and gave a –what-the-hell shrug and followed Dallas down the path that lead away from the house and barn. I followed the two.

"It'll be an adventure!" Soda said happily. I really tried to feel the same way.

Three hours later and we were lost. I don't know how it happened but we definitely had come to a fork in the road and had no idea where to go.

"I though someone was leading the way." I muttered but Dallas still heard me.

"I thought someone knew where we were." He muttered back.

I shivered as a bought of thunder erupted. I really didn't want to be lost in the rain with Dallas Winston.

"We need to go left." Soda said. Dallas and I both looked at him.

"Left?" Dallas asked.

"Yeah, that should take us in a big circle back to the barn." He smiled as I looked at him with a stupid look on my face.

"That's better than my idea." I said.

"What was your idea?" Soda asked.

"I didn't actually have one."

"She's right." Dallas said to Soda, "Your idea is better."

I rolled my eyes.

"Lets go." This time Soda led the way on King and Dallas and Calypso brought up the rear.

It started raining and we decided to move a little faster. It wasn't a very cold rain but I wanted to be out of it as soon as possible. It took us half an hour to get back to the barn and everyone was soaking wet. The warm, dry barn was very welcomed. We got off the horses and started removing the saddles and brushing them down. No one spoke and I finished brushing Ronny down before the boys. I put a blanket on him and told Soda I was going to let my uncle know we were back.

The house was pretty quiet when I walked inside and I had to search for my Uncle. I found him in the basement gathering candles and camping torches.

"Winifred!" He exclaimed, "We were about to send a search party, looks like it's going to be a long storm."

"Yeah, it looks like it's getting pretty bad out. We took King, Ronny, and Calypso out for a few hours." I said as we walked up the stairs to the kitchen.

"Good, Good." He said as he set the candles down and rubbed his injured back. I wait for him to say more.

"…So they need, you know, their money."

"Yes I know. I'll go get the money. You tell them to come inside and have a drink or snack." He disappeared to wherever he kept his money stored. I sighed and grabbed two raincoats before running back to the barn. I nearly slipped in the mud on my way.

Soda and Dallas had just finished up with their horses.

"My uncle can pay you boys in the house. He offered a drink or snack." I panted. I tossed then the raincoats.

"Where's yours?" Soda asked noticing I was still in my wet shirt. I shrugged.

"Lets just get back to the house."

The three of us jogged back to the house. Uncle Todd was waiting in the kitchen with two envelopes. I decided my presence wasn't necessary so I went up stairs to change into dry clothes. My hair was sticking to my face and neck and I did my best to dry it with a towel. I opted for a baggier pair of jeans and on old sweatshirt. When I went downstairs I noticed that Fran was actually home and sitting at the table with Soda and Dallas. Uncle Todd was busy placing candles and boxes of matches around the house.

"Hi Fran." I said cautiously. I knew she really didn't like Dallas.

"Hello. I'm glad you got back safely." She said and I smiled knowing she meant it.

"We got lost for a bit." I said, taking a seat between her and Dallas. "But Soda saved the day." I gave said boy a smile. He grinned back and took a sip of his chocolate milk.

"Hmm." Was all that Fran said. There was an awkward pause until Uncle Todd walked in looking very proud of himself.

"There is a candle in every room in case the power goes out."

Fran stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll go make sure all the windows are closed." She said just as the loud clang of thunder echoed above the house. I look at Dallas and Soda and they finished their drinks. They both looked good with wet hair and I didn't mind how tight the water had made their shirts. I blushed when Dallas caught me staring at his arms.

"Y-you should probably go before it gets any worse." I said.

"I was just thinkin' that." Soda stood up and took his glass to the sink.

"Ready Dal?"

"Sure."

I walked them to the front door and gave Soda an awkward pat on the shoulder.

"Thanks for helping out."

"It was fun. King's a good horse. Your lucky." He smiled at me. I wondered how many girls a day swooned to that smile. That thought was quickly stomped out when Dallas brushed past us. He gave me a quick look. And walked out closely followed by Soda. I watched the car disappear down the road.

**Author's Note… This chapter is a rollercoaster of emotion. Both Dally and Winnie go up and down. And I really love Soda!**

**I also want to say a quick thank you to CureMyBoredom for being the only one to make a guess as to who Soda's future girl might be! Though anybody can still make a guess (hint, hint).**

**And of course I want to thank all of the reviews, new and old, for their comments **** !**

**Let me know what you think of this chapter. Things are starting to move along.**

**SOOOO REVIEW! PLEASE.**


	8. Feeling Part 2

**Disclaimer: The Outsiders and all its characters are not mine. Everything else is my own.**

**All the author's mentioned are/were real people and I don't own them either.**

**Author's Note: I took a little liberty with Dallas's character in this one. And Winnie is a bit more feisty than usual. That said, I really like this chapter.**

The following days weren't very special or exciting. I spent most of my time studying for final exams. Fran and I still weren't speaking like normal. She had started spending more time in town with her other friends. Dallas hadn't accompanied Soda since the first time, thankfully.

I was really starting to see Soda as a good friend. We talked more easily and he had told me about his brothers, parents, ex girlfriends, and run ins with the law enforcement. I remained a little more reserved with my history; afraid I would just start babbling and not stop. I wasn't naïve enough to believe he saw me as a best friend or anything like that. I knew he had other friends and a life back in town. I was sharply reminded of this on the third Sunday he came over.

"King's a lot better." I commented, leading Ronny along side Soda and King.

Soda gave him an affectionate pat on the neck and grinned. I frowned at his unusual behavior. He'd been quiet all day, but still happy and warm like always. I debated asking him what was bothering him but didn't want to over step any boundaries. Finally he broke the silence.

"Hey, Winnie, I ain't gonna make it next week." He began with only the smallest touch of awkwardness.

"That's ok. I knew you probably wouldn't make it every time." I tried to reassure him. He smiled at me.

"Thanks for understandin'. It's my first real date since Sandy…" He trailed off. I struggled to keep my surprise from showing. Soda had mentioned briefly how his ex-girlfriend, Sandy, had pretty much broken his heart and was currently in a different state. He hadn't quiet phrased it that way but I was able to draw my own conclusions.

"That's really great!" I said honestly. He looked at me blankly for a second then smiled.

"Ya think so?"

"You bet. Best way to get over someone is to find someone else."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He said sounding relieved.

"So who is she?" I probed.

He gave a little unenthusiastic shrug.

"She's actually Sandy's old neighbor. She seems nice enough… she had a little thing with Dally actually."

"So not very smart?" I teased. He laughed but then seemed to actually think about it.

"She's really not." He said with a straight face. It was my turn to laugh.

"Does she at least have an award winning personality?"

"Well…." He started and I felt my mouth twitch into a smile, "She's kinda flat ya know?" I knew he was referring to her personality but it was just too much fun teasing him.

"I asked about her personality!" I pretended to be scandalized. Soda's eyes widened and he rushed to explain that he was too. I couldn't help it anymore and let out a fit of giggles.

"I-I know! I know what you meant." I managed to say between giggles. Realization dawned on his face and he soon was laughing along with me.

"Golly, you really had me goin'." Soda said after we calmed down. I gave him a small smile.

"But really, do you, um, really like her?"

"She's a nice girl, and a greaser. That combination don't come around very often." He explained. I had to roll my eyes.

"Who says you have to date a greaser?" Irritation had snuck into my tone.

"No body, it's just…" He sighed, "It's better, cause we'll have more in common. I ain't gonna go chasin' after a classy girl, ask her on a date, then find out we ain't got a single thing to talk about."

I thought about that, it seemed reasonable enough though I got the feeling that wasn't the real or whole story.

"Right…sorry for snapping." I mumbled but Soda had already forgiven and forgotten.

As it turned out I wouldn't have been able to go riding with Soda if he had shown up. Fran had told Uncle Todd that she was running into town to run some errands and visit her friends and he had insisted that she take me along. To my surprise I wasn't the only one that protested.

"Dad, you know she hates going into town." Fran told him right in front of me.

"Which is why she needs to go with you. That's why she's here, remember?"

"It'll be boring." Fran said, "Won't you be bored?" She looked at me.

"Probably, I'd rather stay here." I told him, thinking he'd understand and I could enjoy my lazy Sunday.

"No, you're going with Fran, that's final." He said with unusual firmness. Fran and I shared a shocked look. We chose not to argue and a feeling of dread slowly filled my stomach. It had been weeks since I'd been into town and it was starting to feel like I had made no progress. It was almost worse since Fran wasn't being her normal, supporting self.

So, of coarse, Sunday afternoon came around faster than it should have and I sat in the passenger's seat telling myself to be calm and relax. I focused on other things, like how green everything was, how warm it had gotten, how fancy Fran looked in her new dress, and other things. I had just about convinced myself that I was really going to be ok when my dear cousin dropped a bombshell.

"Winnie, I love you, I really do, but I think it's better that you find your own thing to do." She gave me a sad look.

"What? You're joking right?" I asked, beginning to panic all over again.

"Well, my friends and I found this new place to hang out at and it gets really crowed and loud and it's exactly the type of place you hate going to."

I was speechless so she continued.

"You could go someplace quiet, like a park! Or the library or museum. Spend a couple hours reading."

"It's Sunday." I said acidly.

"So?"

"So, the public library and museum are closed."

"Oh, well, how about the park? Or even that place people keep theirs horses?"

"You mean the stables?" I was really in a crumby mood. I saw her wince.

"Yeah. Those."

"Fine." I said, giving up. She was probably right anyway. A nice quiet place would be better than being with her friends.

The good thing about being in an absolutely horrid mood was that it gave me another thing to focus on. When Fran dropped me off at a public park in town with the promise to pick me up in two hours, I was so worked up that I just slammed the door and stalked off. She drove off and I gave a bitter laugh when I noticed the park was right next to the closed library and museum.

After a couple of rounds around the park and a go on the swing set I still hadn't really cooled off. I was thinking about venturing out of the bounds of the park when a familiar figure by the library stopped me in my tracks.

He was wearing the same worn leather jacket and making his way towards the back of the library looking very suspicious. Though I bet Dallas always looked shady. Intrigued and feeling somewhat reckless and annoyed, I slowly made my way over to where he had disappeared around the corner of the building.

I peaked around the corner. He was standing in a small ally where the back of the library faced the back of the town's museum. It was a nice secluded spot. He was gazing up at the only window on this side of the library, which happened to be on the second story. He looked around for something and his eyes landed on me. I let out a gasp and whipped around and tried to make a fast get away. It was useless though. I felt him grab my arm and pull me back.

"Ouch! Geez, do you have to be so rough?" I cried out.

"Shut up." He growled, "What the hell do you think you're doin'? Don't tell me you're actually dumb enough to follow me?" He gave a mean tug on my arm as he said this. If I had been in a better mood I would have apologized, told him I wasn't going to tell anyone what I saw, and go on my merry little way all the while stuttering and stumbling through my words. Instead I let my anger take over.

"Please don't tell me you're dumb enough to break into the library? Can you even read?" I hissed. I knew Dallas wasn't expecting that because he looked at me like he didn't know what the hell I was. I figured if he didn't kill me after this then I was pretty much the luckiest person alive and should go buy a lotto ticket.

"Did you just say what I think you just said?" He voice was low, dangerous, and definitely stirred up something deep in my belly. I swallowed hard as he leaned his face so close to mine our noses were only inches away from each other. Sense finally broke through my anger.

"Hhm…no…?" I squeaked. His eyes darkened.

"I m-mean…." I struggled, I couldn't think with him so close.

"I'm s-sorry. I bet you read really well…" I said lamely. Suddenly he let go of my arm, threw his head back, and let out a cold, harsh laugh. I just stood there, wondering how he was planning on killing me. I even started sneaking slowly backwards but he noticed me.

"Relax, I ain't gonna hurt you." His tone led me to believe otherwise. My reluctance must have been pretty obvious because he stepped back a little. He still looked at me like I was the stupid, trapped prey he was about to rip apart.

"So I can go…?" I asked feeling very small.

"No, you can't." He said, giving me a wolfish smile, "You caught me in a good mood." I raised an eyebrow and he continued, "So, you're gonna help me get inside."

"Inside?" I asked, clearly confused. He rolled his eyes.

"It's the opposite of where we are now." He said with ridicule.

"You mean you're actually breaking into the library?"

"No shit."

"…But, why?"

"Why does anyone break in to some place? To steal something." He was getting frustrated.

"But…the library only has books…" My confusion knew no bounds.

"Ain't you a smart one…now shut the fuck up and go keep a look out."

I stayed where I was, still attempting to figure out what he was doing.

"So…you're stealing a book? From a place you could go and check one out for free?" I asked, slowly. He let out a growl.

"I'm pretty sure I told you to shut the fuck up? Twice."

"But…" I started but he cut me off.

"Go. Keep. Watch."

I stuck my head around the corner to look for anyone who might catch us. The park was completely disserted and the sun slowly getting closer to the horizon. It looked like we were in the clear. Dallas picked up a nice sized rock and hurled it with perfect aim at the window. The shattering of the glass was loud and I received a harsh glare from Dallas when he saw I was looking at him rather than the park. I looked back and noticed we were still the only ones around. We waited a few minutes and Dallas explained he was waiting to see if anyone was inside to check on the noise.

"Alright, no ones home." He said, more to himself than to me.

"Great, now all you need is a ten foot tall friend." I said, suddenly whispering. I earned myself another glare.

"Shut... up. Come help me wheel the dumpster over here." He walked over to the large dumpster that was pushed up against the wall further down the building.

Together we rolled the dumpster until it was right under the broken window. Dallas still wasn't tall enough to reach it but I figured I had helped him enough.

"Alright…I-I helped you out so I'll just be going…" I pointed behind me uselessly in the hopes that he'd let me go.

"Get on the dumpster." He told me instead. I gave a sigh.

"Why?" I asked.

"Cause I can't get inside on my own. Now c'mon." He said, impatiently. I slowly moved to the side of the dumpster and struggled to get on it. I saw Dallas move behind my and give me a firm push under my butt and I blushed furiously and slapped his hands away once I was safely up. He gave an amused laugh and I blushed even harder. He was able to lift himself up easily onto the dumpster.

"Now what?" I asked. I felt uncomfortable being so close to Dallas.

"I give you a leg up." He said, looking at the window.

"No way!" I cried and he shushed me. "I'm not actually going inside. I don't steal things!"

"Oh wow, ya know, that's really surprisin'. The first time I saw you, my first thought was 'now there's a rebel'. I'm shocked."

I was not impressed.

"Well I'm not stealing anything for you. Other ideas?"

"How about you give me a leg up?" We both knew he wasn't serious. There was no way I would be able to do that. I sighed again.

"If I help you, you need to tell me why you want to steal a book." I said trying to reason with him.

"It's for a friend." He said after a few seconds.

"That's it?" I said, getting ready to hop off the dumpster. He growled a little and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"He got hurt and we ain't been able to see him and I think he digs reading." He said, not looking me in the eye. I remembered Soda had said that Dallas had had a rough time and I figured that maybe these things might be related.

"Fine. How about you lift me up and once I'm inside I'll give you a hand. Maybe it'll be enough to get you inside too. That way it's only breaking and entering and not theft for me."

Dallas didn't say thank you, which wasn't surprising. He just ruffled his hair again and carefully stood up. He cupped his hands together and I placed my foot in them. He lifted me easily and I was able to wiggle through the window with his help but I got a small cut on my forearm from a bit of broken glass that was still in the window.

I picked out the stray piece and held out a hand for Dallas to grab. We struggled for a few moments but working on a ranch had put some muscle on me and Dallas had clearly done this before. Soon enough he had wiggled through the window as well.

"There, I help you now good bye." I said.

"Wait!" He hissed.

"No! We had a deal. I'm leaving." I hissed right back.

"How the hell am I supposed to find the right book?"

"Dewy Decimal system. Good Luck." I made for the window and ignored his whispered curse. I looked out and down. The dumpster suddenly seemed a long way down. I could risk my legs and jump. Maybe I'd get lucky and not break anything. Or maybe, I had used up all my luck in not getting killed by Dallas. I heard a whistle from Dallas who had come to look out the window too.

"Long way down." He mocked, "Good luck."

"What book are you looking for?" I said, closing my eyes and hoping it'd be an easy find. He thrust a rumpled piece of paper at me. I took a closer look and groaned. He couldn't make anything easy.

"What are all these?" I asked, horrified at the list of about eight names and book titles.

"A list a friend gave me. Said these were good. I don't know about this kinda shit." He almost sounded embarrassed. Almost, but still cold and mean.

"Fine, most of these shouldn't be too difficult."

I led Dallas to an isle and explained how everything was organized. I like to think he paid attention.

"Ok. You look for Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Harper Lee, and Joseph Heller. I'll look for J.R.R. Tolkien, J.D. Salinger, Anna Sewell, Margaret Mitchell and Mark Twain."

We split up and used the last rays of the fading sun to find the right books. I had just grabbed the last book on my list when the light had completely faded. I wasn't sure how much time had passed. Dallas met me at the window with a handful of books. He looked like he was in a rotten mood.

"I fucking hate the library." He growled. I hid my smile. Seeing Dallas actually holding books was an amusing image.

"There, I helped you. Now can I go?" I pleaded. He nodded and dropped the books carelessly on the floor. I thought he'd lower me down onto the dumpster so I was a little surprised when he hopped out and landed with a surprisingly soft thump on the dumpster.

"Hey!" I whispered to him harshly. "How am I supposed to get down?"

"Toss me the books." He ordered. Stupid, greasy, hood! I tossed him the books one by one and he caught them all.

"Alright, jump and maybe I'll catch you." His voice was like honey. I grumbled under my breath as I maneuvered my legs out the window.

"You sure you wont just let me fall to my death?" I asked, suddenly really afraid. He just shrugged and hurried me. I closed my eyes and hopped out like Dallas had done. I fell for half a second before I felt Dallas catch me around the waist and I landed softly on the dumpster. I let out my breath and opened my eyes.

"Well," I said, "Not the dumbest thing I've ever done."

Dallas laughed coldly again and jumped off the dumpster and started collecting the books.

"You just trusted me with your life." He said, darkly. I blinked.

"Hmm…dumbest thing I've ever done."

Dallas laughed again and it sounded a little less hard. I got off the dumpster and dusted myself off. We walked out of the ally and made sure the coast was clear before walking through the park. We were silent and I searched my mind for something to talk about. Talking was always so easy with Soda…

"Hey! How do you think Soda's date went?" I asked Dallas. He scoffed.

"He'll be bored outta his mind with Connie."

"Oh…" I said knowingly, "I forgot you had a thing with her. Soda told me."

He snorted, "She ain't exactly…adventurous." He said lewdly and with a wink. My cheeks grew a little warm.

"Maybe Soda will disagree." I countered.

"I'll be sure to ask him tomorrow. She puts out more and faster than a coke machine."

I stopped walking, not shocked at what Dallas said about the girl but shocked that Soda would do something like that.

"Soda's not like that…is he?" I asked. I always saw Soda as being a really decent boy. A greaser through and through, but I always saw him as being above that.

Dallas smirked, "He's seventeen and a guy." Was all he said. I continued walking in silence with Dallas struggling to keep all the books in his grasp from falling. We had reached then end of the park.

I really thought we had gotten away with stealing the books. At least I did until a cop car pulled up along side us and flashed a light at us.

"Stop right there, Winston." A Policeman ordered.

"Crap." I whimpered, "Crap, crap, crap. What do we do?" I asked Dallas. He seemed calm enough. The car stopped.

"Can you run?" He asked. My eyes widened.

"Please don't tell me-"

"RUN!" Dallas yelled and I wondered why he didn't sound very concerned. Then I took off as fast as I could after him.

**So, I figured that Dally loved Johnny otherwise he wouldn't have gotten himself killed. So I think it's not too much of a stretch to think he'd go and steal books for him. Speaking of Johnny…he may make an appearance soon…though I'm debating if I should bring Ponyboy into the story first.**

** And Winnie is coming into her own, I kind of picture her as being like a small puppy or kitten that's growling/hissing at a grizzly bear (Dallas being the bear).**

**And I really can't thank all my reviewers enough! And everyone who put this story on alert or favorites!**

**So click the little review button and if you have any questions feel free to send me a message.**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW….please and thank you!**


	9. Feeling part 3

**Author's Note: Shorter chapter this time. It jumps around a bit too. More of a filler chapter with a little bit of important stuff thrown in…**

**I wanted to explain Dallas's reason for breaking into the library more but when I did it just didn't flow right. And when he explains what happened with the cops it's pretty much lack of evidence that gets him out of trouble. **

**Anyway…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Othersiders or any of the characters from the novel. I just own what you don't recognize.**

It was obvious Dallas knew how to evade the police. He had taken a couple of sharp turns, ran down a few allies, and even circled back to the park. It had taken every ounce of my strength to keep up with him. The police weren't able to and luckily Dallas and I slowed to a stop behind a brick building to catch our breaths. Dallas was still clutching most of the books and breathing hard. I had to lift my arms over my head to help the cramp in my side. It was a few moments before Dallas opened his stupid mouth to speak.

"Didn't think you'd really follow me."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What? Did you think I'd stick around and take the blame for the break in?" I gasped between breaths. Dallas looked mildly surprised but shrugged it off quickly.

"Nah, thought you'd rat me out and play miss innocent."

"Huh, that's a pretty good idea." I said, secretly wishing I had managed to think of it my self. I suddenly felt very stupid.

"'Sides'…they didn't know we broke in." He said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then why did they stop us?" I asked.

Dallas gave a little laugh that was a strange mix of amusement and bitterness.

"'Cause they know me. Real well. They were probably wonderin' what I was doin' with a clean cut girl like you and not terrorizin' the neighborhood."

I remember the cop had used his last name.

"So what was the point of running? Technically, we weren't doing anything wrong."

Dallas gave me a you-really-are-as-dumb-as-I-thought look.

"Well The Fuzz are idiots but even they would've seen the illegally acquired books."

"We could have said we found them or were returning them." I said, though I knew I didn't sound very confident.

He rolled his eyes, "They wouldn't have believed it. Not with me. They would have figured it out."

"They would have arrested you?" I kind of felt bad for him. I tried to hide that though. He shrugged and set the books on the ground so he could light a cigarette. He took a couple of puffs then smiled bitterly.

"Imagine what would have happened if we had got caught."

I shuddered, not wanting to think about what Uncle Todd or Fran would do, or what my parents would say if they heard about it.

"I'd rather not."

He laughed again.

"Man, I don't think my reputation would've recovered if anyone heard I lifted library books." That made me smile. I had seen it with my own eyes and I had hardly believed it.

"People wouldn't have believed it, especially if you throw a clean cut girl like me into the story." I repeated his words.

He didn't respond and I wondered what our next step was going to be. How does someone end a night like this one? 'Hey I had a wonderful time breaking the law with you, see ya later?' I didn't think so. So I sort of just stood in front of him, shuffling my feet and fidgeting with the hem of my shirt. He flicked the ash from his cigarette at me and I looked up to give him a little glare. He chuckled at that and made to stand up straight. I felt my body tense as he stepped closer to me. His eyes had that scary predator gleam in them.

"What?" I asked nervously when he didn't say anything. He held out the half smoked cigarette in front of my face, offering me a puff. I mutely shook my head no. He snorted then smirked and stepped back. I let out my breath.

"You're a piece of work." He said harshly. I furrowed my brows. I thought we had been making progress.

"Why do you do that?" I asked. "Why do you have to be so rude?" I wondered if I sounded as childish to him as I did to myself.

"Why do you keep putting your nose where it don't belong?"

"Are you serious?" I was getting worked up again.

"Do I look like I'm jerking around?" He was also getting worked up.

I ignored his question. We were only going to end up talking in circles.

"Why do I bother you?" I demanded to know. He raised a single eyebrow and finished his cigarette.

"I ain't gotta have a reason. You don't belong here and you're just gonna end up causin' a bunch of shit. You're nothin' but trouble."

I scoffed, "I'm nothing but trouble? Who the hell decided to break into a library? Who goes around slashing tires? Stealing things? Picking fights? I cause trouble?" My voice had started to grow louder. I was on a roll.

"I get that you think I'm after Soda, like everybody else, but really? I know he's out of my league and to be honest he's a little too good looking. So you just need to get over that idea." I took in a deep breath. Dallas was looking at me with an expression I couldn't place. Finally he relaxed and looked away from me.

"Someone's a little pissy tonight." He muttered, "You should stay clear of society when it's that time of the month." He said vulgarly. My face turned beet red in an instant.

"I-I'm not- it's not," I stuttered helpless and fully embarrassed. "I'm in a bad mood because I was ditched by my cousin." I was finally able to say.

"Oh boo hoo." He said coldly, "What a rough life you live."

I blinked, knowing that my problem paled in comparison to his troubles. But I still felt the need to push him.

"You're so sure? You don't know anything about me." I said trying to insert some of the venom he seemed to use so effortlessly into my own tone. He glared.

"Hmm let me give it a shot." He said. I raised an eyebrow, showing my consent.

"You obviously come from money, make good grades, never had trouble with the cops, no drinking or smoking, you keep your legs closed…" At this he trailed his eyes up and down my legs. I shifted uncomfortably.

"The only thing I ain't gotta clue about is your parents." He finished. I sighed irritably.

"Right about the money, so-so on the grades, wrong about the cops, right about the smoking and drinking and about…my legs. My parents are doing fine up on the ranch in Montana." I think he knew I was annoyed that he'd gotten so many things about me right.

"Why ain't you with them then, instead of annoying the shit outta me?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, not expecting to have this conversation with any one, especially Dallas.

"It's a long story." I lied, I could probably sum it up in fifteen words or less but I really didn't have the time to. Time…

"Shit!" I yelled suddenly remembering the time. "I was supposed to meet Fran at the park." I rushed out as I looked at my watch. It was almost forty-five minutes after I was supposed to meet her. I was dead.

"I have to go back to the park." I started to panic and Dallas was standing coolly against the wall. My panic was amusing him. I looked around.

"How do I get back to the park?"

He smirked and bent down to pick up the books.

"C'mon. The fuzz should be gone by now."

My pulse was pounding and my mind racing as I tried thinking of excuses to tell Fran. I followed a stray dog or I had to find a restroom or store… chocolate craving? She'd see through all of them.

Dallas and I rounded the corner of the street and I spotted Fran's car parked on the side of the road instantly. There were no cops around thankfully. I started walking faster and saw Fran sitting in the middle of the sidewalk wiping her eyes. She looked up when she heard me approaching. She had tears in her eyes and guilt flooded me.

"Fran-I am so sorry." I said.

"I've been worried sick! I've been waiting here all alone thinking something horrible had happened to you." She said, tears flowing freely as she stood up on her feet.

"I know, I lost track of time." I gave her a tight hug but I felt her stiffen as she looked behind me.

"You were with him!" She hissed and that's when I smelled the alcohol on her breath. It was faint but it was there.

"Blah, blah, blah." Dallas said behind me and I turned around and silently pleaded with him to behave. He caught my look and seemed to take the hint.

"I got lost and he showed me the way back." I explained to my tipsy cousin. It wasn't a lie technically.

"Are you sleeping with him?" She whispered, though in her state it was loud enough for Dallas to hear. I cringed as he laughed.

"No." I said firmly. She blinked and looked at the blonde boy again.

"You stay away from her." She threatened. Maybe she was a little more than tipsy. Dallas made an ooohing sound and I once again gave him a look. He responded by winking at me. Fran let out a scandalized gasp.

"You are fooling around with him!"

I groaned and closed my eyes in frustration. Fran was not a fun drunk.

"I'm really not. And you are drunk." I said as I felt exhaustion take hold of me.

"Pffst, he winked at you." She said like it meant something.

"His right eye spasms sometimes, it wasn't a wink." Dallas snorted behind me.

"How about you go sit in the car and I'll be there in two seconds." I said as I grabbed the keys from her hands. She looked between Dallas and me a couple of times before making her way to the car on unsteady feet.

"Thanks Dallas." I said looking in his eyes. He had been unusually nice, at least for him, even if he had roped me into breaking and entering and stealing for him.

"Don't mention it." He said and I smiled.

"I mean it. Don't tell anyone about tonight." He was dead serious and I just nodded my head.

"You've got a reputation to protect." I said lightly.

"Exactly. I'd get my ass beat if anyone heard."

I let out a fake gasp, "You mean the great Dallas Winston is capable of losing a fight?"

He relaxed a tiny bit at my teasing but didn't smile. He didn't say anything either and gave me one last unreadable look before he walked away. I watched him until Fran honked the horn. I got in the driver's seat and made sure Fran was all right before I started to drive us both home. Hopefully she'd sober up before we got back.

I was able to convince Uncle Todd that Fran was sober and he didn't suspect a thing. We wished him good night and rushed up stairs. I wanted nothing more than to get undressed and fall into bed but Fran had other ideas for me. I was standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth when she stumbled in.

"So…are you going to tell me what that thing With Dallas Winston was all about?" She asked.

I spit in the sink and rinsed.

"I already told you." I said not looking her in the eye. "I ran into him," True. "I was confused, had no idea where I was," True. "And he showed me the way back." True.

"And that's really all that happened? He was a perfect gentleman?" She sounded skeptical.

"Surprisingly, yes." Lie!

"Huh, that's…unusual." She mumbled. I looked at her through the mirror.

"What's unusual is you drinking." I pointed out. I noticed her face flush.

"I wasn't the only one! Everyone else was a lot worse off than me." She defended herself.

"You don't even like drinking."

"Well with all the stress of finals I just wanted to relax and let loose."

"I think normal people wait until after their tests to go drinking." I said as I washed the cut I had gotten from the broken window of the library.

"Yeah, it was just one night." She said and walked out. I didn't know if I believed her.

The last week of school dragged on but I felt pretty confident about most of my finals. My grades were good enough that I didn't need high final scores anyway so I wasn't very worried. Soda came by the first Sunday of summer vacation and I was pretty surprised to see that Dallas had come along too.

"Hey Soda! How was the big date?" I asked with a small smile. He shrugged and gave me a grin.

"I'd rather been here to be honest." He said with no hesitation. I ignored Dallas's eye roll. I smiled even bigger.

"The girl didn't impress?"

"Nah, she ain't my type."

"Too bad. Hey Dallas." I said looking at the JD. He was dressed in a slightly stained white t-shirt and worn jeans but he still managed to look cool. It might have been my overactive mind but it also looked like his hair was cleaner, or maybe just brushed out.

"Eh." Was his response. I gave him a blank look and started walking with Soda to the barn to saddle the horses. Uncle Todd was feeling better and had taken Ronny out a couple of times and said he found a nice trail leading towards a pond and I was curious to see if I could find it. It could be a nice place to relax.

Dallas was trailing behind us and I wondered if Soda knew about anything that had happened last Sunday. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone but was Dallas aloud to?

"Look! I see it." Soda said excitedly as the three of us brought our horses around a bend in the trail. After a little bit of searching and a wrong turn we had stumbled onto the pond.

"It's not so much a pond as it is a puddle." I said sadly. Uncle Todd's pond wasn't very impressive but I figured the horses could us a rest and a drink. We lazed about the pond for a while and we had a good laugh when Soda took King for a nice gallop around it. The wild horse really looked like he was having a blast and so did Sodapop. While Soda was off expoloring with King Dallas brought Calypso next to me.

"I see you managed to evade the law." I said not really looking at him.

"Ha, yeah right. The boys at the precinct hauled m in the next day."

"What!" I said loudly as my eyes widened.

"Yeah, said they knew I'd been around the library. I was seen 'feeing, with an unidentified female'." He snorted. I looked down at the water remembering our little run around Tulsa.

"So how'd you get out of it?" I wondered, he obviously had or he wouldn't have been there talking with me.

"I asked them why I'd break into a library of all places. And that you were some girl I tried to pick up. And I told them I ran just for the hell of it." He smirked.

"And they let you go?"

"Not a chance. They demanded I take off my shirt and show 'em my legs. They found a bloody piece of glass by the broken window. When they saw I didn't have a scratch on me they threw me in a cell for the night."

"Huh, well that's good, you're off the hook." I smiled as I fingered the cut on my arm. I felt a little better knowing I'd somehow helped keep him out of jail long-term.

"I guess."

I let out a laugh as Soda did an impressive maneuver with King on the other side of the pond. Dallas broke the silence.

"You got any stamps?" He said and I could tell from his tone that he was trying to be all causal but he was still very guarded.

"You mean postage stamps?" I asked.

"Yeah. I need to send those books." He was looking in the opposite direction.

"I think I've got a couple. And I box that might work. If you want you can bring the books by and I'll pack them up." I offered carefully. He took a few moments to think about it.

"Sure." He said shortly as Soda came up to us wearing a huge grin.

"Winnie, I'm stealin' this horse."

"Fine. Where are you going to put him?" I said playing along. Soda made a hmmming sound.

"Can I keep him at your place."

I laughed at him.

"Sure. You steal him tonight and bring him on over." I joked, knowing that they were really the same places. Dallas gagged and urged his horse ahead of us. The rest of they day was a pleasant blur. Soda and I joked around a little and I listened to him and Dallas talk about their up coming plans for the next rodeo, the new Cash song, and how the 'soc's' were getting restless again. Soda did most of the talking. They didn't leave until the Sun started to set. I got a side hug from Soda that made me blush and a very low 'see ya' from Dallas that really was more growl than word. Though it didn't sound as menacing as it usually did. I smiled, thinking that maybe Dallas and me would able to tolerate each other some day. Maybe even be friends if I wanted to dream big. I turned to go back in the house and jumped when I saw Fran watching me from the doorway.

"Nothing happened huh?" She said with her arms crossed. I blinked and wiped the smile of my face.

"Right." And I walked past her and up the stairs. I smiled again when I was safely in my room.

I just couldn't help it.

**Ah silly Winnie has no idea what she's gotten herself into…trusting Dallas and all. She's got no clue! Dallas isn't so horrible in this chapter. And both Pony and Johnny will eventually be in this and I think Pony is going to show before Johnny does. That's the plan for now.**

**As for Fran and Darry...well you're just going to have to wait and see.**

**Please review! Don't be shy!**


	10. Light Bulbs Part 1

**Author's Note… So it's a short chapter but there is a lot of stuff packed in it. The entire thing is also pretty bi-polar (kinda like Dally is). Also Dallas is out of character but I swear there is a reason for it and I'll explain it at the bottom.**

**And I don't know if it was clear last chapter but Dally got out of jail because no one could prove he robbed the library so they had to let him go.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Outsiders. Also, I do not mean to offend anyone with the situation that Winnie was put in when she was little.**

Summer was always a tough time for me. I liked the break from school, sleeping in, and the weather, but I hated how bored I got. I felt like I was wasting so much time not doing anything productive. Most of the time I was out riding or doodling in my sketch pad but that got old after about two weeks. So I was pretty happy when Dallas brought the books over the third Sunday of summer break. I was more than a little surprised and disappointed to see that Soda wasn't with him though.

"Soda's doin' somethin' else." Was all the Hood said as an explanation. He have me a little side-glance. I wanted to press him further for more answers but I got the feeling Dallas was back to his usual moody, scary self. He carelessly dumped the books in my arms without looking in my eyes even after I tried catching his gaze.

"I'll just go set these in my room." I said slowly, wondering what was up with him today. He just nodded and turned around to walk towards the barn.

I rushed up the stairs to my room and silently thanked whoever was up in the sky that Fran was out with her friends and Uncle Todd was busy running errands. I didn't want to have to explain why Dallas would bother showing up without Soda.

My room was unusually neat, a side effect from having too much time on my hands without school, and I set the books on my bed. I was about to walk out when a stupidly girlish impulse took control. I didn't spend very much time in front of the mirror. I wasn't overly vain or tremendously self-conscious therefore the mirror wasn't a big part of my morning routine. So it was a little odd that a sudden urge to walk over and make sure I didn't look awful struck me. Maybe that was why Dallas didn't want to look at me.

My refection looked normal. My skin was slightly redder from spending time in the sun but it wasn't very noticeable and my hair was its usual, wild self. There weren't any boogers or blemishes as far as I could tell. Over all I looked like I did every day. Sighing, I pinned my hair up in a bun that looked more like a crazy birds nest thanks to the curls, put on a little lip balm, and finished with a bit of sunscreen. I tried to ignore the worn clothes I wore to go riding in. Maybe later I could muster up the courage to go shopping.

When I reached the barn I saw Dallas had already started brushing down King. I walked over to stand next to him.

"You're not taking Calypso out?" I asked, perplexed. It was pretty much decided that Ronny was mine, King was Soda's, and Calypso was Dallas'.

"Obviously not." Was his curt reply. I felt irritation flare in me at his tone.

"Did I say that you could?" I really tried keeping my voice neutral. Tried.

He finally looked at me, eyes flashing. Yep, old Dallas was back.

"Do I need your permission?" He said sarcastically. We both knew I'd let him take the wild horse out.

"Fine." I said, raising my chin and walking over to get Ronny ready.

"Fine." Dallas mocked, making his voice high pitched and whiny. I rolled my eyes.

"Mature." I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" He said, slightly angrier now.

"I said, MATURE." I said clearly as I looked over my shoulder at him.

He stood there, mouth slightly open, brush paused mid air. I spoke again before he could recover.

"You know, you're the only person that annoys me enough to make me say things like that."

Dallas closed his mouth and gave me a smug smile.

"I'm honored."

"You would be."

"I bet you spend a lot of time thinkin' about how… annoying I am. I must get under your skin." I suddenly felt uneasy, I couldn't place his tone and I had no idea where he was going with this.

"No, I hardly think about you at all." My voice was getting smaller as my discomfort grew. Discomfort, because I did think about Dallas more than a sane girl should.

"Hmm, I guess I'm just gonna have to try harder to make you think about me." He said, arrogantly. I blushed.

"That's not what I want-" I said irritated and embarrassed.

"Relax, I was just tryin' to get under your skin." He said as he went back to grooming King. I let out a sigh. It was going to be a long, awkward day without Soda.

* * *

Two hours later I was laughing so hard tears were running down my face.

"Shut up." Dallas growled out as he lay in a patch of mud. King was some feet away prancing around and tossing his head back gleefully.

"I-I think," I tried saying between giggles, "I think it is safe to say King doesn't like you." It had to have been one of the best moments of my life to see Dallas Winston thrown off a horse into a slimy patch of mud.

"That horse ain't worth shit." He said as he stood up and attempted to wipe the mud of his jeans.

"Hey now, Soda never had any problems." I said still laughing lightly. Technically that wasn't true since Soda and King had had a rocky start.

"And you deserved it."

"You really need to shut up." He said stonily.

I laughed even harder when he reached up to brush some hair from his forehead and ended up smearing mud in his hair.

"Soda is gonna love this!" I wiped some tears from my eyes.

"I'm warning you." Dallas said as he took a step closer to Ronny and me. I just kept picturing him flying off the back of the bucking horse and landing with a lout 'SPLAT'. I was laughing so hard my sides started hurting then –

"ACK!" I let out a shriek as Dallas grabbed me around the waist and yanked me clear off Ronny's back. A jolt of fear went down my spine but was quickly extinguished when I noticed that he wasn't actually hurting me. He was just carrying me over to where he fell. Realization dawned.

"NO! Dallas! Please put me down!" I struggled to get out of his grip but he just held on tighter.

"I warned you." He said and it almost sounded like he was playing around but I was too focused on the approaching mud puddle to really think about it.

"I'm sorry I laughed at you! Just don't put me- NO!" It was hopeless as he let me go and I landed much the same way he had, with a loud 'SPLAT!' Now Dallas was the one who was laughing. I sort of just sat there in shock. Shock at being in the mud and also at what Dallas had done. Two hours ago he was being mean and now he was laughing like he was actually a nice guy. I couldn't help but smile. I reached my hand into the slime and picked up a good -sized glob. Before I thought about it too much and changed my mind I stretched my arm back and snapped it forward. There was a third 'SPLAT!' as the slime made contact with Dallas' chest. He stopped laughing, raised one eyebrow, and gave me a very dangerous leer.

"That's how it's gonna be?" He asked, calmly. I nodded.

He sighed, "Okay."

Then he pounced. I was knocked back flat into the mud. I couldn't help but start laughing as I felt the coolness from the mud seep into my clothes. Dallas was sitting to the side of me, flicking mud all over my face and body and doing a strange combination of a growl and war cry. I desperately tried to throw mud right back but he definitely had the upper hand.

"Ha-ha!" I cried when I finally managed to smear mud all over his face. I made to sit up but he pinned my arms to the ground. My laughing slowly died down when I noticed where his eyes were pointed. He was looking just below my neck. Confused, I glanced down and let out a gasp. The first three buttons of my shirt had come undone during the mud fight. It wasn't terribly revealing and some girls wore shirts that showed about the same amount of cleavage but not me and definitely not in front of Dallas.

"Dallas! Quit!" I said as I freed my arms from his grasp and sat up, buttoning my shirt. My face was on fire. It was also covered in mud. Dallas snorted after a moment.

"Ain't like you got much to see anyway." He said carelessly . I blinked and turned to glare at him. He wasn't looking at me so I flicked some mud in his face. He growled and glared back.

"I think I won this battle." I said haughtily. I stood up, slipped, almost fell down, righted myself, and walked over to Ronny with my head held high. I heard Dallas stand as well.

"Uh, Winnie, take a look at your self." He said. I decided to humor him and assessed the damage the mud had done. I was literally covered from head to foot in mud. Then I looked Dallas over. It was pretty obvious from the lack of mud on his clothes who the real winner was.

"Alright, you won. It's not like it means anything." I said grabbing the reins and leading Ronny back towards the house on foot. I didn't want to dirty the saddle. Dallas walked over to King and did the same. I was so telling Soda what his horse had done.

* * *

The walk back was oddly silent and uncomfortable. I was still trying to process Dallas's new, strange behavior. I briefly considered the possibility that he was on drugs, or that him and Soda had magically switched bodies and couldn't tell anyone. I also thought that I might be dreaming, the world had ended and this was purgatory, hell was now frozen, and aliens had invaded. They all seemed unlikely.

"So, uh, ya get the box?" Dallas said suddenly.

"Huh?" I asked, dazed from all my thinking.

"Huh?" He mocked, "Did I stutter?" He was angry again. I really wasn't able to keep up with his mood swings today. Then I remembered the books and that I promised to help ship them to his mysterious friend.

"Oh, right. Yeah I have a box and the stamps. I can pack them up tonight and you can get them some time this week. It has to be before Sunday though." I said softly.

"Why?" Dallas asked, annoyed,

"I'm leaving for Montana Saturday. I spend some of the summer up there." I tried to keep it like it wasn't a big deal.

"So you can see the parents you don't live with for whatever reason."

"Right."

"Why don't you just tell me why the hell you ain't up there with 'em?" He bit out. I sighed, knowing I probably wasn't going to get away with another brush off. So, I made sure to choose my words and tone carefully.

"My parents are completely normal. They sent me down here thinking it would help get rid of my fear of big crowds, towns, and larger groups of strangers." I said evenly. I hated telling people this story. I didn't want to sound like a little baby looking for sympathy.

"Those are stupid things to be scared of." He said harshly. I think he was more uncomfortable than I was but I didn't know why.

"Not when you have a reason to be."

"You got a reason?"

I nodded, ignoring his tone, "When I was really young my family and I drove to the nearest town which I think at the time was Dillon or maybe Missoula, we moved around a few times. We were there for the fair and there was a huge group of people and everyone was having a great time. I was walking a few paces a head of my mom; I think I was really eager to see the longhorns or something. Anyway, my mom lost sight of me in the crowd and we got separated and I couldn't find her."

"That's it?" Dallas asked, incredulously. I rolled my eyes.

"No, that's not it. I started crying and this man came up to me and asked me what was wrong. When I told him he smiled, took my hand and told me he'd help find her. He ended up dragging me to his truck and then we drove for hours to the middle of nowhere. And all the time he kept talking to himself, things that scared me to death. I was old enough to know that I was in serious trouble. We took a ton of dirt roads. Then we stopped at his campsite and it was pitch black out by this time. When he came around to my side of the truck I made a dash for it and hopped out the drivers side door. I ran as hard as I could into the forest, in the dark. The man chased after me. Eventually I lost him, or he gave up, and I hid in an old fox den until morning." I gave a final sigh as I finished. Dallas looked like he was deep in thought.

"What happened in the morning?" He asked quietly.

"Eh I sort of wandered for a while, I ran into a couple of hunters who were actually hunting when and where they shouldn't have been. Said they heard about a missing girl in Montana and the radio. Turns out the man had driven me all the way to the Wshington- Idaho border. They took me to the nearest town and a police car drove me back to Montana." We had almost reached the barn now.

"What happened to the pervert?" Dallas asked, his voice was void of any emotion. I had to smile.

"The police didn't get him but an angry momma grizzly sure did." I said ruefully.

"Man, really?" Dallas asked.

"Yep, I call it Karma. So I guess since that day I kind of associate towns and people with bad things. It's gotten loads better since I've been here." We had reached the barn. Dallas was pretty quiet and he had an unpleasant look on his face as we brushed down the horses and gave them fresh water.

"I'll come around sometime for the books." Dallas said as we walked towards the car he had driven.

"Yeah, alright." I inwardly kicked myself. I knew if I told him my sad little story things would get awkward. They always did. He got in the car.

"Hey Dallas, can you tell Soda I said bye? I won't see him before I leave." I bit my lip, waiting for his response. He gave a sardonic smile.

"Don't think he'll care, but I guess I could do that."

I frowned as he drove away. I hoped the mud on his clothes stained the car seats.

**Ok so there is no way to explain Dally's behavior in this story because we don't see his POV and there is no way Winnie would know (And he'll never really admit it). So here is the explanation for Dally's over all behavior (both good and bad)- He's actually realizing that he doesn't hate Winnie as much as he makes it seem. He isn't sure how he feels about her or how he should treat her so his actions are mixed and unsure. Sometimes he's cruel and hurtful because that's just how he is normally and other times he gives into his deeply buried feelings and acts in a way that isn't normal for him. So that's the basic reasoning behind his behavior in the chapter.**

**I hope you like it and let me know what you think. **

**And a big THANK YOU to all my reviewers! You guys are all GOLD!**


	11. Light Bulbs Part 2

**Author's Note: I'm sorry for the wait but things have been super crazy this past week. I've started school again and a new job so I won't have as much time as I did before. I'll update as soon as I can.**

**Also, a lot of time passes in this chapter but I tried including Soda and Dallas.**

**Disclaimer-I don't own the Outsiders, just the original characters.**

Dallas dropped by to pick up the packaged books on Thursday afternoon. He only stayed for two minutes and didn't even say goodbye when he left. I was a little irritated at that. I figured once you've robbed a place together you should at least be a little friendly. I wasn't able to see Soda before I left to go back home and I really hoped Dallas had passed along my message.

Uncle Todd, Fran and I celebrated her eighteenth birthday a week early since I wasn't going to be there when it took place. I could tell she was trying not to cry and to be honest even I had felt a tightening in my throat. It was a nice, quiet little celebration and I knew she'd have a bigger party with all her friends later.

It was strange going back home. I was happy to see my mom and dad and the few friends I had. We chatted and laughed and had a good time. It was like I was never really gone but at the same time it was almost boring. I helped my dad and the other ranch hands when I could and if I couldn't then I was inside helping my mother with some task or another. Sometimes I would take a horse out for a little ride but I missed Ronny. It was nice but got old fast and I found myself missing Tulsa more than I was ready for.

About three weeks after going back home I turned eighteen. My mom invited my friends, the neighbors, and everyone from Church to have a little party in our backyard. It was a relaxed atmosphere and everyone was having a really great time. People came up and wished me happy birthday and I responded politely and with only a few embarrassing moments. I blew out the candles on the birthday cake, stood nice and pretty while people sang, and opened presents. Overall, it was nice enough. It was getting late in the evening when people started leaving and I started clearing off the tables.

"Winifred! You've got a call!" I heard my Mother yell from the back door. I set down the dirty dishes and hurried over.

"Thanks Mom." I said as I passed her. She gave me a sweet, motherly smile.

"Hello?" I asked, expecting to hear Fran or even Uncle Todd.

"Winnie!" I heard a distinctly masculine voice say. I blinked trying to place it.

"S-Soda?"

"Happy Birthday! Eighteen huh?" He said, just as friendly as I remembered.

"Soda?" I asked again, not believing he would actually take the time to call. He laughed and even through the phone I knew, for sure, that it really was him.

"Yeah it's Soda. Got your number from your cousin."

"Fran?" I asked, starting to feel like an idiot.

"Yeah, I've been comin' over to take out King and even your little appaloosa sometimes. She came out the other day to tell us that your birthday was comin' up and wondered if we'd want to give you a call."

"We? Who is we?" I gave myself a mental pat on the back for asking a question that was more than one word.

"Me and Dallas. He comes riding when he ain't got anythin' better to do."

"Oh. Is he there now?" I asked. Soda paused for a moment.

"Why? You wanna talk to him?" He asked slyly. I blushed.

"No! It was just a question." I rushed.

"Hang on. DALLAS!" I heard Soda yell. I heard a muffled voice in the background.

"No Soda! I don't want to talk to him!" I said, starting to get panicked. He wasn't listening and I heard some shuffling movement on the other end of the line. I considered just hanging up but I was too late.

"What?" I heard a growling voice ask. Yep, it was Dallas. I opened my mouth to respond but no sound came out.

"Who the hell is this?" Dallas asked roughly again.

"Uhm… It's Winnie." I cringed; I was going to smack Soda when I saw him again.

"Winnie?" He said mildly surprised.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to talk to you but Soda didn't listen. So we can hang up now."

"You didn't want to talk to me?" He asked and I couldn't tell if he was amused or not. It was like he could decide to be amused or pissed.

"Uhm…" I struggled. He chuckled darkly on the other end I knew he was teasing me.

"What? Ya don't think I'm a great conversationalist?" There was sarcasm now. I smiled, thinking over all the conversations we had.

"If I were you I'd stick to robbing libraries, and falling off horses." I joked.

"I thought I told you not to ever mention those things again." He said, trying to be menacing and scary again. To bad for him it lost its effectiveness over the phone.

"You didn't tell Soda about your attempt to ride King did you?" I asked, fully enjoying teasing him.

"No, and you ain't either." He threatened.

"No? What are you going to do to stop me?" I was trying not to laugh, " You're glaring right now aren't you?"

"You gotta come back sometime. I promise you I know how to hold a grudge." He said. I sighed.

"Relax, I value my life so don't worry about me telling." I said, "So did you send the books?"

"No, I had you pack them up all up so I could look at the box at night." He said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.

"Did your friend get them?" I asked carefully. Dallas hesitated before answering.

"I don't know." He said, angry again.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure he did." I held in my curiosity. I heard a muffled voice in the background again.

"What?" Dallas said to whoever was standing by him. More muffled sounds.

"Why would I do that?" He said, irritated. Again, there was a muffled voice. I heard Dallas sigh.

"Happy Birthday." He deadpanned into the phone.

"Thank you." I said, absolutely shocked.

"Whatever. Here." He said and I heard shifting noises and then a loud bang as a door slammed shut.

"So you've been having a good time up in Montana." Came Soda's amused voice. I grinned; I would never get over how good his voice sounded.

"It's nice. I love seeing my parents and everybody…" I trailed off.

"But…?"

I bit my lip before answering, "I'm bored. I'm never bored!"

"That's 'cause there's nothin' to do in Montana." He said.

"That's not true! We have trails, and hunting, there's fishing and camping. Not to mention all the work that needs to be done on the ranch."

"So why are you so bored?" He asked smartly.

I had to think about it, but I still couldn't come up with a reason.

"I don't know to be honest. Everything is so…I don't know."

"Well, when are you comin' back?"

"Six weeks." I said, sadly. It felt like a long time. I heard Soda whistle.

"A horse could get pretty fat in six weeks." He said. I laughed at him.

"Well, you better take them out as much as you can. Can't come back to fat horses."

"No, you can't. I'm sure Dally'll take 'em out too. Your Uncle is still payin' us."

"How is Dallas?" I wanted to know. He sounded better over the phone, not really happy, and definitely not friendly but ever so slightly more at peace.

"Why do you wanna know?" He was back to tbeing all sly.

"Curiosity? How's Steve and what's his name?" I said in a sad attempt to cover my butt.

"Hmm, Steve and his girl Evie broke up, TWO-BIT is Two-bit, and Dally is…" He stopped.

"Dally is what?"

There was a commotion in the background and I could hear people yelling and laughing.

"Soda?" I asked. He was laughing at something.

"Sorry! The boys are bein' a bunch of monkeys."

"Monkeys!" An unfamiliar voice cried.

"No Two-Bit! I'm on the phone! OOOF!"

I could only assume that Two-bit had tackled Soda and was currently wrestling with him. I heard what sounded like a full on battle going on and was about to hang up the phone when someone picked up.

"Hello?" The voice said. It was a male voice, similar to Soda's.

"Uh…Hi." I said awkwardly.

"Who is this?" The voice asked with curiosity.

"It's Winnie…? Uhm I was talking to Soda but I think he's being held hostage now."

"It appears that way." He said and I detected both amusement and exasperation. But more amusement than anything else.

"I'm Ponyboy. Soda's brother." The voice explained. I remembered Soda talking about his brothers a lot.

"Oh! Right, hello. He's mentioned you a couple of times. He says you're really smart and you're on the track team, and that you got bumped up a grade or two." I said in one breath. I think I might have scared him with all the information I knew.

"You and Soda talk a lot?" He said after a minute.

"Uh, not really. Or maybe we do. We talk enough I guess."

"Are you the girl with the horses?" He asked. I couldn't deny the warm feeling I had knowing Soda had at least mentioned me.

"Probably. He comes over on Sundays and my Uncle pays him and Dallas."

"He really likes it. It's like that job was made for him."

There was another loud crash and some yelling.

"Hey I gotta go. It was nice talkin' to you." He said.

"Yeah, you too. Bye!" I said and hung up.

I smiled and turned to go back outside but jumped when I saw my mother leaning against the frame.

"Mother! Scare my half to death!" I said. She was giving me a knowing look. I mentally groaned.

"Were those your friends?" She asked and I saw right through her innocent tone.

"No." I said flatly.

"A boy called." She pointed out.

"So?" I asked trying to get past her but she wouldn't move. And she wouldn't get that damn smirk off her pretty face.

"A boy has never called before." She was full on grinning.

"Ok…so I have friends that are boys."

Her eyes got brighter and she straightened.

"You've got more than one?" She was a little too excited.

"Yes and they are all only just friends."

"Are you sure? You were getting awfully flirty."

My mouth dropped, "How long have you been standing there? And no I wasn't."

She tilted her heard in thought, "I walked in on 'If I were you, I'd stick to robbing libraries and falling off horses.' Your father walked by around the time you asked about your other friends but I don't think he was happy you were talking to a boy about other boys." She smiled.

"How did I not notice this?" I said more to my self than her. She shrugged and moved a strand of curly hair from my face.

"You were in your own world. I'm so proud of you! Making friends and putting yourself out there."

"Well you have Fran to thank for that." I said and I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and went outside to help with the clean up.

* * *

The weeks dragged on and on and on. I didn't get any more calls from Soda but I got one every week from Fran. It was easier for us to talk now that we both had some time and space to ourselves. My mother kept pestering me about my life in Tulsa. She almost got the story of me helping Dallas rob the library out of me but I caught myself in time. My dad had also questioned me about the boys but he relaxed when I told him I wasn't interested in any of them. I tried to stay busy for the remaining weeks but whenever I had down time I found myself thinking about Oklahoma. Mostly I thought about Fran, Soda, and Dallas.

Finally the six weeks were up and I was all packed and ready to go.

"You're father and I are planning on coming down sometime soon. And we'll be there for the holidays." My mother told me as I was waiting to get on the plane. She was holding back tears.

"Make sure to tell Fran and Todd thank you, and behave." She went on. I looked at my dad and we shared a look.

"And try going out more. Maybe get one of those boys to take you out."

"Mom… I doubt that will happen." I tried explaining.

"But you'll try?" She asked and I couldn't bring myself to say no.

"I'll try." I smiled.

"I want to talk to this boy if it ever happens." My dad said firmly. I smiled.

"Ok Dad." I gave him a tight hug as people started boarding the plane.

"I love you." I said as I hugged my mom. She started crying.

"I'll be ok. I promise. No need to worry."

"I'll always worry." She said.

"She'll be alright." My dad said stiffly but I could tell he was holding back tears too. I gave them both a smile and a last 'Love you' before getting on the plane.

* * *

"WINNIE!" Fran yelled when I got out of Uncle Todd's truck. She ran towards me and gave me a big hug. I laughed and hugged her back.

"You've gotten taller." I told her when we parted. "And tanner."

She was grinning from ear to ear.

"It's only been a little over two months. And you're hair is even longer and more curly than ever."

"Ugh, I never got around to getting it cut." I said as I pulled it up into a ponytail.

"You girls want to help me with these bags?" Uncle Todd called.

"Not really." Fran said with a twinkle in her eye.

"But we will anyway." I finished. We laughed and started bringing my bags up to my room.

"So how has your summer been so far?" Fran asked later that night. We were both lying in the grass outside looking at the stars.

"It was alright. Nothing too exciting. How about yours?"

"Oh the usual. Went to a few parties. There's a new boy in town that Becky has her heart sent on. She's finally over Soda."

"Has Soda been coming over to take out the horses?"

She narrowed her eyes, "Yes and he's been bringing Dallas Winston along with him. I don't see them very much thankfully."

I decided to ignore her rude tone. I didn't want to cause trouble so soon after being gone.

"You'll get to see them this Sunday." She said. I chose not to tell her excited I was for Sunday to get here.

"So I think we should go into town tomorrow to celebrate your return." She said as she sat up.

"Ok."

"Ok? No fighting me? No telling me how much you hate going into town?" She said, shocked.

I smiled, "Maybe it'll be nice. But can we go somewhere a little on the quiet side? Like a small place?"

"Sure! We'll have a blast."

I also chose not to tell her that I secretly hoped to run into someone else.

**HaHAHAHAHA! Who does Winnie mean? And I wanted to ease into the Ponyboy introduction since I'm so uncomfortable writing his character even more so than I was with Two-bit. So that's why it was done over the phone. Also, there's going to be more of the gang in the story from now on. Winnie leaving and coming back is sort of a turning point in more ways than one.**

**So yeah…that's it.**

**Please leave a review? I hope people are still interested in this story! Let me know!**

**P.S. I posted links to pictures of the horses on my profile. If you want to check out how I picture Ronny, Calypso, Old Girl, and King. **


	12. Light Bulbs Part 3

**Author's Note: I am sooooooo sorry for the wait but I have been SUPER busy! I had to write this chapter in bits and pieces and its pretty short. Also I wanted to get something out before the week started so there are probably a few spelling errors and such. I'll go back and fix it when I have more time. Something is better than nothing right?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders. I do own all the other non-Outsiders characters though.**

Fran and I found a nice little diner in the better part of town to celebrate my return. She was going on and on about her summer, telling me about all the drama that happened at all the parties and beer blasts by the river. It was a pretty pointless conversation but I was enjoying it.

"Anyway enough about my summer," Fran said, "How was yours? Any cute boys in Montana?" She had a little twinkle in her eye but I couldn't help but laugh at that thought.

"Sadly none that were available." I said. It wouldn't have mattered if they had been available, considering I wasn't even looking. Not really anyway.

"Don't you think it's time to start looking again? I mean when was the last time you had a steady boyfriend?" Fran asked and I started to get uncomfortable.

"I don't know…about a year." I answered, "And that wasn't even a serious thing."

"I know a few single lads out there. I'm going to set you up!" She was excited now. I groaned.

"Please don't bother Fran. It's just not a good time for that."

"When is a good time then, Winnie?"

I sighed. Usually Fran left the subject of boys out of our conversations but sometimes she'd get dead set on coupling me off with some random guy she knew from school.

"No Fran. I don't want to go on a blind date with anyone. Nothing has changed." I tried explaining as politely as I could.

"What if it wasn't blind?" She said coyly.

I narrowed my eyes, instantly suspicious.

"What do you mean?"

"Like if you met him before, just like if he showed up somewhere we happened to be and you met him. Then after you got to know him he asked you out?"

"You planned something haven't you?" I asked, I was half expecting some random guy friend of hers to suddenly show up at the restaurant.

"Of coarse not! But I could, you know, arrange a little run in."

"No." I said with finality. Fran didn't look the least bit put off so I was still pretty wary.

We finished eating and paid the bill. It was fairly early still and Fran suggested we go for a walk and try to find some ice cream. She was back to gossiping and I kind of tuned out until we stopped at a little mom and pop ice cream parlor.

"Oh Richard! Hello." Fran said sweetly. She linked her arm in mine and dragged me forward slightly. I gave her a sharp glare before looking at 'Richard'. He was standing behind the counter with a white and blue striped shirt, a blue apron, and I little white hat. He was fairly good looking but not quiet my type.

"I had no idea you were working tonight." Fran said and by her tone I knew she was lying.

"Hey Fran! Looking to get a little ice cream?" He said nicely enough. I notice him give me a once over. I tried to keep a blank face but I couldn't help but glare sideways at my cousin. I knew what she was doing. I was so on to her.

"Oh yeah, just a little after dinner snack. This is my lovely cousin Winnie. Say hello Winnie."

"Hello." I said shortly and I dug my fingernails into Fran's forearm. Not enough to actually hurt her but enough to let her know I wasn't happy.

"Ah the famous cousin." Richard said and I raised a single eyebrow.

"Fran talks about you a lot." He explained at my look.

"That's unusual." I said as I looked at my cousin.

"Richard was in my science class last year." Fran told me and pulled me a little closer to the counter and therefore Richard. I held in a growl.

"So, what flavor can I get you ladies?" He asked, adjusting his hat a little.

"Hmm, I think I'll have a scoop of strawberry and a scoop of chocolate." Fran said after a moment of thinking.

"Winnie?"

"I'll have a scoop of vanilla please."

"That's it!" Richard asked.

"Y-yes." I said.

"That's rather boring. How about some caramel on top?"

"Uhm, No thanks. Just regular vanilla would be great." I countered. I just wanted the damn ice cream.

"Sprinkles?"

"No."

"Hot fudge?"

"Nope."

"Not even a litt-"

"Just. Vanilla."

He finally gave up and scooped out our ice cream. I left with a small goodbye but Fran stayed and chatted with him a little while. I rounded on her when she finally caught up to me.

"Nothing planned huh?" I asked. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Well, in my head you were supposed to be your sweet stuttering self, he was supposed to find you absolutely adorable, and the both of you were supposed to hit it off right away."

I snorted at her.

"Sorry I ruined your plans. He was way too…" I trailed off.

"Too nice? I forgot you like the rude, bad boy type."

"I do not!" I protested. She gave me an are-you-kidding look.

"You still aren't admitting you had a little thing with Winston? I promise I won't be mad if you tell me what really happened with you and him. Or if anything has happened with you and Soda."

"Why does everyone think there is something between Soda and me?" I asked more to myself than Fran.

"Ok, I believe you when you say there's nothing going on with Soda. What about Winston?"

I let out a frustrated sigh.

"I can't tell you what happened with Dallas and me because he asked me not to tell a soul. But I promise you it wasn't anything romantic."

Fran still looked unconvinced but I was starting to not care. We walked back to the car in silence. I thought we had dropped the subject until she brought it up on the drive back.

"You know, Winston and those other boys don't have friends that are girls right?"

I ignored her.

"They either ignore you completely, tease you for kicks, or try to get you in the backseat of a car."

I continued to ignore her.

"And from what I can tell, they obviously don't ignore you, and they don't tease you either. So tell me, what option does that leave?"

I didn't speak for the entire car ride, and when we got home I went up stairs wordlessly. I didn't want to believe Fran. Soda was way too nice to do what she was suggesting and Dallas hadn't tried anything yet. I went to bed with a troubled mind hoping that I'd feel better in the morning.

* * *

I didn't feel any better the next morning, or the morning after that. Fran's words were bothering me so much that I found myself in the car on my way into town before I really stopped to think about what I was doing. I pulled into the DX that Soda worked at and began scanning the area. I saw Steve working on an old car in the garage with someone, maybe their friend Two-bit. I looked around some more and spotted Soda talking to a younger boy. I had to take a deep breath before getting out of the car. I walked past Steve and Two-bit. Steve looked up briefly and gave me a tiny nod and went back to work. I didn't look at Two-bit, I didn't remember him very well but I do remember he like to talk. I slowly walked over to Soda and the kid and I was able to catch a little of what Soda was saying.

"-Don't let it get to you. It's just 'cause it's the beginin' of the school year. He'll lay off."

The boy looked down and shuffled his feet a little.

"Yeah," He said quietly, "I guess."

I coughed lightly to get their attention. They both looked at me with the same comical, surprised expression and I was started at how much they looked alike. Soda was obviously older and more attractive but the younger boy shared some of Soda's facial features.

"Hey…I don't mean to interrupt-" I started shyly.

"Winnie!" Soda said suddenly and loped over and gave me a hug. I smiled at first but then Fran's words came back to me. I sort of pushed Soda away and took a step back. His smiled flickered for half a second and I felt guilty.

"Hey Soda." I said, trying to sound happy. I think he bought it.

"Long time, no see." I said awkwardly.

"Oh boy! Wait till you see how far King has come along!" He said excitedly and I slowly started to feel more comfortable.

"Yeah, I heard you were taking him out a lot." I smiled. Fran didn't know what she was talking about. At least when it came to Soda.

"Yeah- Oh hey meet my little brother. Ponyboy." He dragged me over to where the kid was standing. It made sense to find out they were brothers.

"Pony, this is Winnie." Soda said easily.

"Hey Ponyboy." I said, not sure how to act around him. He gave a small smile that was surprisingly warm.

"Hi." He said, "So you're the girl Soda stole the horse from?"

I laughed remembering that Soda had "stolen" King.

"Yeah, but it's ok. I gave him permission." I shrugged.

"So what brings you to my DX?" Soda said as he walked over to where I had parked the car.

"Your tires are fine. Do you need an oil change?" He was looking over my car. I cringed, "Um no the car is fine. Just came to…" ask if you were secretly trying to get in my pants.

"…To say hi. I was in the area and thought it'd be rude to drive by and not stop." I could almost believe that myself.

"We'll make you into a social butterfly yet!" Soda joked. I snorted.

"Maybe. Well, I guess I said 'hi' SO I'll just be on my way." I said, unsure of what to do.

"Dally should be comin' 'round soon if you wanna wait a little. Keep us lonely boys company." Soda said quickly. He almost had the same scheming tone Fran had the other night. I blinked, and then blushed furiously.

"Why would I wait for Dallas?" I asked. Soda just shrugged. Two-bit must have heard the last bit of our conversation because he popped his head out of the garage.

"Don't cha wanna see that joyful, innocent face of his?" He joked. Then laughed at his own joke.

"You really ought to quit drinking Two-bit." Ponyboy said, "I don't think you're right in the head anymore."

"You little wise-ass." Two-bit said as he ruffled Ponyboy's well-greased hair.

To be honest I was scared to see Dallas again. I had thought about him a lot while I was in Montana and I was no closer to figuring him out now, then I was when I first met him. I knew Fran was wrong about Soda but I had no idea if she was wrong about Dallas. He hadn't tried anything serious but he did make the odd comment about my chest and his hands had gone where they shouldn't have when we robbed the library. But other than that, it seemed like he wasn't interested in me at all. Strangely, that idea bothered me.

"I'll stay for a few minutes. I have nothing better to do." I said after a minute.

Soda smiled and ruffled my hair as he walked past me to break up (or participate in) Two-bit and Ponyboy's wrestling match.

**No Dallas :( He'll be in the next chapter. And I didn't want Winnie and Pony meeting to be anything super exciting. So I kind of just slipped him in but he'll definitely have more to do in the story in later chapters.**

**Anyway, Sorry again for the wait but please leave a review! It'll make me update faster. (It really will)**


	13. Break Throughs Part 1

**Author's Note: SOOO sorry for the delay. There has been a lot going on and I barely have time to do all my reading for my classes so writing has taken a backseat. I have to get bits in when I can. So sorry if this chapter is a little choppy (I tried making it seamless) and I thought it be better to get it out now while I had some time.**

I sort of regretted staying around the DX. Soda and Steve were both there to work and I didn't know Ponyboy well enough to talk with him comfortably and to be honest Two-bit was pretty overwhelming. It was lucky that Steve and Soda weren't extremely busy. Steve was able to keep Two-bit distracted enough that he didn't bother me with too many jokes. Soda, when he had time, would come over and either tease Ponyboy or me. He tended to tease Ponyboy more but I didn't mind. It was obvious that Soda loved his little brother.

About ten minutes of just waiting for Dallas to show up a car full of girls around my age showed up to the gas station. They were all pretty giggly and kept shooting Soda flirtatious glances. He went up to the car as Ponyboy came to stand next to me as I leaned against my car. I could barely hear the main girl tell Soda she wanted 'the works' for her car. I shared a look with Ponyboy as Soda went about filling the tank.

"You know, I bet Soda could charm anyone he wanted." I said quietly to Ponyboy. I didn't know him so I was a little wary of starting a conversation with him. Luckily he smiled and played along.

"Yeah, even that old witch that lived in a gingerbread house." He said with slightly more confidence I had used.

"She'd be an easy target." I said, smiling.

After breaking the ice I found it fairly easy to talk to Soda's little brother. We exchanged basic information like age, grade level, and whether we liked Elvis or The Beatles more. There were some awkward moments where neither of us knew what to say but for the most part it was a nice conversation.

"So do you know anything about cars?" I said to Pony. He shrugged and we both looked over at Soda who was now cleaning the windows of the girls' car.

"I know a little. Maybe a little less than Soda. Steve's the real gear head though."

"Have you started driving yet?" I asked. He shook his head and shuffled his feet.

"Nah, Soda and Darry are busy enough. Darry says he'll teach me next summer."

He sounded put out. Not exactly sad or angry but I could tell he was kind of bummed. I looked down at my car, an idea forming.

"You know," I started shyly, "If you want, I could give you a quick run of the basics while we wait."

The youngest Curtis looked up at me with surprise. He blinked at then cast a quick look at Soda.

"Maybe real quick? Soda won't care too much but I don't want Darry findin' out."

"You bet." I grinned. I handed him my keys, "Hop in the driver's seat."

I explained the gears to Ponyboy and how to shift and when to break. I think he found it a little too much to fast but he learned quickly when I finally made him turn the car on.

"Alright, you still need to breath." I said lightly. He let out a breath and a small laugh.

"Ok, whenever you're ready."

Pony eased on the gas and the car lurched forward then immediately jolted to a halt. I started laughing. He sent me a playful glare. He tried it a couple more times before getting the hang of it. I directed him to an area behind the station where there was an open patch of land. He drove in circles a couple of times and practiced breaking and reversing. He parked the car, rather poorly, back where it originally had been.

"See?" I asked, "Not too difficult. It gets easier with practice."

"I wonder what driving a really nice car would be like."

"My car isn't nice?" I said, joking.

"It is!" Pony said quickly but relaxed when he saw my expression. "I meant one of those sooped up cars. The ones that they use in street races."

I was about to respond when a sharp tapping on the glass made me jump. I looked over to see icy eyes staring at me through the window.

"Get out." Dallas said, his voice firm. I would never admit this out loud but I missed his rough voice. I opened the door quickly as Ponyboy did the same from the driver's side. Dallas just looked at me with an annoying, unreadable expression. I gave him an uneasy smile still remembering Fran's words as my heart rate increased.

"Hey…" I said. I didn't receive a glare so I smiled more widely, "How has your summer been?"

He shrugged casually and gave me a once over. I could almost hear Fran's voice in my head telling me he was no good. I ignored it.

"Hey Dally." Ponyboy said pleasantly though I could detect a small tinge of unease in his tone.

"Pony. Two-bit here?" Dallas replied. Pony nodded and pointed over to the garage. I watched Dallas walk over to the garage, frowning. That was it? I shook my head and turned to Ponyboy.

"Well it was nice meeting you…" I said, distracted. "Tell Soda I say bye and that I'll see him Sunday."

"Sure." He said and went to join Dallas.

I got into my car, irritated and a little confused. I was irritated that Dallas had dismissed me so easily and that irritation was what was confusing me. I half expected a cold greeting. It was Dallas Winston after all. I just couldn't figure out why I was so upset about it. I drove to a nearby diner to grab a bite and clear my head.

The place was quiet and I took a seat at the counter. I looked around and noticed a girl refilling sugar containers. I cleared my throat to get her attention. She looked up, surprised, and then gave me a polite smile.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you come in." She said, briskly.

"I was being pretty quiet." I said, my mind still partially thinking about Dallas.

"So what can I get for you?" The girl asked. She was around my age maybe one or two years older.

"A turkey club and a coke."

"Not a Pepsi?" She asked. I scrunched up my brows. I usually ordered Pepsi but every once in a while I'd get a coke.

"Uhm…" I started but she closed her eyes and rubbed a hand over them.

"I'm sorry." She laughed, "I just remember seeing you at my other job and you always get Pepsi not coke."

"Where…?"

"Oh! I do concession at rodeos and there are some people I recognize, usually the ones who always get the same thing. Like you and Pepsi, or the old man who wears red socks and gets a pretzel with extra mustard. I've got a good memory." She said, calmly.

"Oh, well…um. I guess I'll have a coke- no, wait, I mean Pepsi." I told her and she went to take care of my order. I soon went back to thinking about Dallas. The more I thought about it the more conflicted I became. I wanted to believe Fran because that made things simple. If Dallas was trying to sleep with me than all I had to do was stay away from him. But there was also a part of me that knew he wasn't interested in me in anyway. If he were, he would've acted differently at the DX.

"You look lost in thought." A voice said. I looked up at the girl as she set down my club sandwich and coke, or did I get Pepsi?

"I just…have a lot on my mind." I mumbled and took a sip. Pepsi. She smiled at me and I realized how pretty she was. I suddenly felt like a frumpy little girl.

"Let me guess…boy trouble?" She said as she brought some empty sugar containers and the sack of sugar over. I smiled though it felt more like a cringe.

"Sort of," I said softly, "I can't figure out what he's up to. What his agenda is."

"Hmm well if he's a teenager and a boy then I think his agenda should be fairly clear." She said lightly. I sort of laughed but I got a sick feeling when I realized Fran and this girl were most likely right.

"Yeah…I just can't seem to figure out if that's what he's after or not."

"Boys can be terribly confusing."

"So I've learned." I sighed. I started on my sandwich and it was quiet for a few minutes.

"What I said about teenage boys only have one agenda isn't true." The girl said after a while. She seemed genuine.

"I know…I used to think he wasn't after that."

"What changed?"

I shrugged.

"Look, I don't think it really matters what this boy is after anyway." She said as she finished up with the sugar.

"Why?" I asked, surprised.

"The only thing that matters is how far you're willing to go with him. You can say no…or yes if you want."

I blushed. I didn't even like Dallas so I wasn't willing to go anywhere.

"I don't actually want to do anything with him! I-I don't even like him." I stammered out, flushed.

She smirked, "Sure, that's why you're thinking so hard about this."

The girl walked away to help another customer and I sat there stunned. I didn't like Dallas. I did not. He was rude and harsh and broke the law and drank. There were so many reasons not to like him. But, a voice whispered, I do like spending time with him. He's clever, and funny in a dark, scary sort of way. And he didn't treat me like a little girl made of glass. He pushed me and made me speak up and fight back. I enjoyed arguing with him. And he really was attractive, not like Soda was, but in a way that you had to look for it to see it. Maybe I could like him. Or maybe I already did.

"So have you decided what to do about your boy trouble?" The girl asked as she came to give me the bill.

"No… I have no idea." I said sadly as I put down the money plus a tip.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be more help. I never know if what I say is ever useful."

I smiled and stood up, "You did help, so …thank you." Strangely, I didn't feel awkward around this girl.

By the time I arrived back home I had managed to make up my mind about Dallas and I felt a million times better.

"Hey Winnie." My cousin said as I walked onto the front porch. She was sitting on the edge painting her toenails.

"Hey…"

"What have you been up to?"

I crossed my arms and leaned against the railing. "I was at the DX that Soda and Steve work at. Met Soda's little brother. Saw Dallas and Two-bit though I didn't get a chance to talk to them much."

Fran looked at me with a frown, "Winnie…I told you those boys are no good."

"I know. And I'm telling you that I don't care."

"Winnie listen, I know what I'm talking about."

"No you don't." I said firmly, "You don't know anything about them. None of them see me as anything more than a friend and most don't even see me as a friend at all. But even if they did then it would be my thing to deal with, not yours."

"They're going to get you into trouble." She said, getting upset.

"You don't know that. I can take care of myself. I WANT to take care of myself so stop trying to be my mother. I love you and I love that you tried so hard to help me. But now I'm telling you I don't need that help any more." I tried to make her understand.

"I can understand your friendship with Soda but Dallas?" Fran was standing now, hands on hips.

"He's not really a friend," I notice her relax at my words, "But I want to be his friend, so just let me live my life, ok Fran?"

Fran looked torn but after soon enough she made up her mind.

"I don't like this but if it's really what you want than I guess I can't stop you." She said, reluctantly.

"Thank you Fran, I mean it." I said as I gave her a quick hug.

**So yeah…Winnie finally stood up to Fran and she's also figured out some of her feelings**** Now you just have to wait to see how she acts around Dallas …and to see how Dallas feels about Winnie.**

**Also I was informed that Taming was nominated (I think under "Best Character"- "Best Sodapop). I feel really honored and giddy and really really happy that someone out there feels this way! So I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to who ever nominated me and to anyone who may have voted for Taming's Sodapop**** :) ****.**

**If you could just leave a review I'd be a happy goose.**


	14. Break Throughs Part 2

**Author's Note: Long time coming…I really am sorry.**

I was never they type of girl who spent a lot of time getting ready in the mornings. Fran was that girl. I usually dressed more for practicality than fashion. I left my hair alone since it was a lost cause and I never felt the need for any kind of make-up. So when Fran walked into my room Sunday morning trying desperately to apply eyeliner she had to do a double take.

"Winnie…are you using my eyeliner?" She said with complete disbelief. I felt myself blush but tried to play it cool.

"N-no…I'm failing at using your eyeliner." I said hopelessly as I poked myself in the eye.

"Why…? Are you going somewhere today?" She said as she came over to rescue me.

"I just thought it was time to learn how to do this. I just can't get the stupid flick right." I said in a rush.

"Here…" She took the liner, "Look down, eyes open."

I did as she asked and with a few quick strokes she had fixed my eyes.

"Thanks Fran."

"You're welcome." She grinned, "So what about blush?" She said excited. My eyes widened.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I mean…it might be too much too soon…" I told my cousin though I knew it was a weak argument. She had done my make-up before but only the smallest amount and only for special occasions.

"Oh please? It'll look funny with only your eyes done!" She was hopping in place. I felt a bit of nervousness creep up my spine…I didn't want to look weird. Not today.

"Ok…" I said slowly, "But I want to look normal and classy…"

"Ah! Thank you!" She rushed out of my room to go get her make up.

Fifteen minutes later I was staring at my face in the mirror. It was definitely more makeup than I had ever worn before though it wasn't heavy enough to be extremely noticeable. Fran had added blush and lipstick and some weird stuff under my eyes to hide the 'bags'. I looked ok I guess, nothing like the girls that stayed out late and liked the back seat of cars which was something I was afraid of.

"See? You look so much more awake and pretty. It's you but with some tricks to make you look even better." Fran explained. I smiled, though I didn't agree entirely.

"Thanks Fran…now where are my riding boots?" I looked around my somewhat messy room.

"What? Why do you need boots?"

I looked at my confused cousin.

"Because I'm going riding?"

She frowned at me for a moment before bursting into giggles.

"You- you had me- do your makeup so you could- could go riding?" She gasped out. I growled in my head at her, I had hoped she wouldn't realize I was about to go out into the hot sun and sweat all her hard work off.

"I-I wanted-stop laughing- to look nice." I said, irritation clearly in my voice. She sobered up.

"Why?" She said suspiciously.

"No reason." I mumbled and turned to look for my boots in the closet.

"What? Is it because of Sodapop?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. When would people start believing me when I told them I didn't like Soda that way?

"No Fran. It's not because of Soda."

"Oh this is crazy! It's all right to like a boy Winnie. You are allowed to, you know?"

"I don't like Soda ok?" I said with a raised voice as my irritation flared, "I like-" I stopped myself. Unfortunately it wasn't soon enough.

"You like…"" Fran said slowly as she walked slowly over to me, eyes narrowed, hands on hips.

"No body." I said with a tinny voice. I prayed she believe me or at the very least drop it. She sighed and I relaxed, thinking she really was going to let it go.

"You like Dallas, don't you?" She said as she walked over to the other side of my bed. I stood there, stunned and in silence.

"What?" I managed to croak out. How did she know?

"Please, I'm not an idiot. It's what I've been afraid of all along. I was actually hoping you'd end up liking Soda." She came back over to me and handed me my boots.

"There is no way you could have known." I said, though I was more thinking out loud than talking to her. She sighed again, sadder this time.

"Call it intuition or maybe I just noticed that you look at him differently and that gave it away. I was just hoping that I was wrong."

"But, I only figured it out the other day." I was still half thinking out loud.

"I don't know what to tell you Win, but I want you to know that I think having a crush on Dallas Winston is a stupid and dangerous thing."

"Yeah," I sighed as I sat down on the bed, "I know."

I had butterflies in my stomach as I waited for Soda and possibly Dallas to show up to take the horses out. I was nervous and anxious and I couldn't sit still at breakfast. Uncle Todd gave me an odd look before going back to his paper and Fran just kept giving me pitying looks. I wanted to go upstairs and wash all the makeup off. I felt stupid with it on. But before I got the chance I heard tires on the gravel. My pulse quickened as I stoop up to go outside. Maybe I would get lucky and Dallas wouldn't be here.

The car pulled up to its usual spot of I squinted my eyes trying to see if Soda was alone but I couldn't get a good look. My question was answer as both front doors opened. Soda came loping over with an easy smile; his hair was still wet from a shower.

"Hey Winnie. Ready to get back in the saddle?" He said and I relaxed slightly.

"Sure thing." I said softly as I focused my eyes and the boy next to him. Dallas was frowning at me, like he was confused which made me confused. I hadn't even said anything to him yet.

"Hey Dallas." I said awkwardly. He looked nice though he was wearing only an old pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. I tried not to let him see how much I was admiring his torso.

"You look different." Soda suddenly said. I blushed and looked down.

"Yeah…" I said to the ground.

"Hmm, can't put my finger on it." He continued. I was thinking of a way to tell them that I had let Fran makeup me up but out of nowhere Dallas was standing right in front of me. I looked up at him, surprised. He looked angry, his eyes flashing as he grabbed my chin with a firm but painless grasp.

"You're wearing makeup." He growled and I felt color rise to me cheeks.

"Um, Fran did it." I explained shamelessly. He probably hung around girls who had ten times as much crap on their faces.

"Oh that's it." Soda said completely neutral. I got the feeling he was trying not to upset Dallas while also trying not to insult me. That boy deserved an award for all the awkwardness he had to go through with Dallas and me.

"Every girl does it." I defended as I pulled my face free of Dallas.

"You didn't." He accused. I narrowed my eyes.

"And now I do." I said sticking my chin out stubbornly.

"I'm gonna go…" Soda said but I didn't really pay him any attention.

"Why'd you go and put that shit all over your face?" Dallas went on, also ignoring the younger greaser's exit.

I shrugged and made to walk around him but he grabbed my hand and brought me around to face him. My heart rate picked up as I noticed I was even closer to him now.

"You look horrible." He said cruelly. That stung. A lot. It must have shown on my face because he let my hand drop.

"I meant," He bit out, struggling, "It. It looks horrible. You don't need all that shit on your face."

I had to take a deep breath and think about that for a second. It was hard to think clearly with him right there.

"I'm…going to say that was a compliment…so thank you." I finally said looking him in the eye. I saw his icy eyes flicker down to my lips and the butterflies in my stomach returned and then multiplied. His cold expression melted slightly.

Then I remembered I was wearing lipstick and that was probably why he was looking at my lips.

"Hum…" I said, breaking the strange little whatever moment as I rubbed the lipstick off my lips. I took a step back.

"I think I'm going to go wash this off."

"Whatever. I don't care what you fuckin' do to your face." He said harshly. He stormed off to the barn leaving me utterly confused.

Riding was horrible. Dallas was in a fowl mood. He'd always answer a question or respond to a comment with some scathing remark that had at least three different swear words included. Soda tried his best to lighten things up but even he couldn't make things better. We gave up on conversation after a while. The horses were picking up on all the tension so they were acting up as well.

Thankfully we all silently agreed to head back to the barn early. Dallas led the way as Soda and I held back a little.

"Did ya say anythin' to him?" Soda whispered, nodding hid head at Dallas.

"All I said was that I was going to wash the makeup off." I told him. He looked thoughtful and then shrugged.

"I guess that's Ol' Dally for you. Mean as they come." He said lightly. Mean indeed.

Dallas' mood didn't change as we led the horses into the barn, or when Uncle Todd paid him and Soda, or when I tried to say goodbye to him. He just stomped over to the car and lit a cigarette.

"Sorry about today." I said as Soda and I walked slowly to the car. He ran a hand through his greased hair as he answered.

"Nah, Dally is the one who should be sorry."

He really was an amazing friend.

"Hey Winnie, you ever see a drag race before?" He said, quickly changing the subject to a happier topic.

"Nope. Never. Why do you ask?" I said crossing my arms over my stomach. It was getting colder at night now.

"Well there's one Friday night. Steve and I usually take a couple girls but him and Evie split so no dice. Ponyboy is gonna be there and you and him seem to get along."

"Oh, uhm…ok…sure." I said uneasily as I looked over at Dallas. Soda noticed where I was looking.

"Dally and Two-bit'll be around too."

I quickly looked at him wondering if he'd figured out what Fran already had. He had a twinkle in his eye but he often did.

"Ok. Hey Soda, can you do me a favor?" I asked, rocking on my heels nervously.

"Depends on the favor." He smiled.

"Can- can you tell Dallas I'm sorry if I did something? I feel like he was so mean today because of something I did." I paused, "But don't tell him that part. Just tell him the 'I'm sorry if' part not the second part. Ok?" I said lamely but Soda laughed it off and ruffled my hair.

"Sure Winnie. So Friday just come over to the DX around six." He said, walking over to the car. I smiled briefly before going inside to wash my face off.

My school started a week after Fran's school did so as a result the whole week leading up to the drag race was one big bore. I decided to try not to think about Friday too much. I knew that if I did I would only end up worrying about it. Soda was going to be there as a buffer if I ran into Dallas, which was likely since he always seemed to show up when I was in town. I let Uncle Todd know I was going out and to expect me home around midnight or earlier. He was surprisingly reluctant to let me go on my own but after a little dose of puppy eyes he finally relented. Fran gave me a 'be careful' look as I left the house Friday around five thirty. Butterflies were back in my stomach as I began driving and the closer to town I got the more there seemed to be. I pulled up to the DX just as the sun started to set. The car was barely in park before Soda came knocking at my window. He has a small slightly sheepish smile on his face.

"Hey Soda, what's up?" I asked lightly. He ran a hand through his hair as he answered.

"Small change of plans. How do you feel 'bout stopping by my house for a bit?" He said. My heart rate increased and I felt my neck flush. There must have been something on my face that alerted Soda to my discomfort because he rushed to explain himself.

"My brothers'll be there, it's just I wanna take a quick shower. Woke up late this mornin' and didn't get a chance."

"Oh…yeah, I mean, your brothers won't mind will they?" I figured Ponyboy wouldn't but I hadn't forgotten about Darrel.

"It'll only take a few minutes and Ponny'll protect you." He winked as he said this. I smiled too, knowing Pony wasn't exactly the bodyguard type.

"Ok, want a lift?" I asked.

"I sure wouldn't mind." He replied and walked over to the passenger's door.

My first thought when I saw Soda's house was that it was probably very nice once but years of neglect had left it run down. It was clean and smelled of chocolate cake and books when I followed Soda through the front door.

"HELLO!" Soda yelled. There was a muffled response from the Kitchen and Soda and I made our way there.

"Hey Darry, I'd like you to meet little Winnie." Soda said as we entered. I looked at the vaguely familiar man standing by the sink holding a dishtowel. I already knew that Soda's brother Darry had been the one to fix Uncle Todd's roof and seeing him again made me remember just how intimidating he really was.

"Hello." The oldest Curtis brother said politely as he held out his hand. I shook it and managed a small 'hi' and a smiled. Soda disappeared to take a shower and I almost panic but luckily Ponyboy came out and kept me company. Darry was nice enough though still completely scary at the same time. He wasn't scary like Dallas was, not that mean, slash your tires, steal your money, make you cry kind of way. Darry's scariness was more like that of a police officer's or maybe even a strict parents' scariness. Pony and I talked about what kind of cars we'd see at the race and though Darry didn't say much, I got the feeling he was closely monitoring everything we were saying. Maybe he was trying to detect any lies or something.

Soda was true to his word and he was out of the shower within ten minutes. He walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of jeans with his hair-dripping wet holding a pair of socks. I'd like to say I was a good girl and didn't look but I would be lying. I did, however, try to be discrete about it and was a little disappointed when Darry told him to go back to his room for a shirt. I found myself wondering what Dallas would look like fresh out of the shower and couldn't help but blush. I wouldn't mind seeing that sometime.

"How are you making it to the race?" Darry asked Soda when he returned fully dressed.

"Figured Winnie could drive." He said as he looked to me for confirmation. I nodded enthusiastically at Darry. He gave me a sharp look.

"DO you drink?" He asked in a neutral tone.

"No… I don't really like the taste…or the feeling for that matter." I said thoughtfully.

"Alright." He said, "Soda, Ponyboy you know the deal. Stay out of trouble." Darry finished firmly.

"Awe, c'mon Darry, its us." Soda said playfully. By the look on Darry's face I knew that that was exactly why he was worried.

**SO SORRY! I've had some crazy things going on lately and haven't had time to write. I hope everyone is still with me on this. I promise I will not abandon this story!**

**Anyway, let me know what you think. I really like picturing the scene with Dallas and Winnie "discussing" her make up. I don't really know why. And did anyone make the connection with the girl in the diner last chapter? She's made a very small appearance before and she'll be rather important in my next story (involving Soda). She and Winnie are pretty different and I hope who ever reads the next story will like her. Personally, I like her personality a bit more than Winnie's but I'll always have a soft spot for Win. Ah, look at me talking like it's the end…**

**SO yeah… REVIEW! I need some happiness in my life right now.**


	15. Break Throughs Part 3

Disclaimer: Don't Own The Outsiders.

**Author's note: So sorry (again) for the wait. Good news is that break is coming up and I'll have a whole five weeks off of school! I can't wait to go back home where I'll have a little bit more time to write **

** Also this is a long chapter but it sets up what happens in the next part of the story. And Dally is a little out of character (at least compared to the book) but the way I see it is that he's such a dynamic character that no one can tell me that he would never act the way he does in this chapter. Winnie is a part of his life now and she's affecting him in pretty strong ways that will be revealed soon (ish). Also we mustn't forget Johnny and what's going on with him and Dally. So yeah I'm sorry if you think Dallas isn't being himself but I can totally picture him being like this.**

**Enjoy!**

Soda, Ponyboy, and I left their house to head to the race. I had no idea where I was going but luckily Soda was able to give me easy to follow directions. The middle Curtis brother was in a good mood, which wasn't surprising. He kept the car ride from getting too quiet or uncomfortable. He was telling me stories about him and his friends and what kind of shenanigans they used to get up to. I had heard stories before while out with the horses but this time was a little different. Usually Soda explained things in a sort of rushed, hectic, way that sort of left me breathless and hurrying to try and keep up. Now that Pony was there he'd sometimes chime in with his own descriptions of events. Pony had a way of saying things with just the right amount of detail and information. It was almost like the little comments he added were the vibrant colors to Soda's pencil sketching. It was a nice change.

The directions Soda gave me led us into a fairly rough neighborhood I hadn't spent much time in. I parked the car a few blocks from the actual race, not wanting to risk not finding parking (but really not wanting my tires slashed again).

Apparently, these races were a big deal around town. And I was assured that the cops wouldn't show up.

We started walking and the closer we got to the place all the more amped up Soda became. I couldn't help but laugh at his seemingly endless amount of energy. It was almost like he was drunk but I knew better. Pony was also getting more excited though he wasn't anywhere near his brother's level. Pony and I both had to stop walking and take a moment to have a good laugh when Soda ended up running into a fire hydrant and falling over it while walking backwards and telling us a joke.

"Why didn't any of you warn me?" He cried with mock indignation as he rubbed his backside.

"We were too wrapped up in your joke of course." I teased. Pony was still laughing lightly.

"And what's your excuses Pony?" Soda said coming up to ruffle his little brother's hair.

"I wanted to see you make an idiot of yourself in front of the girl." Pony replied dryly and I grinned at him. Soda looked a little surprised at Pony but then smile pleasantly and gave him a little shove muttering something under his breath.

I knew we were getting close to the races when the sound of laughing and car engines revving reached my ears. We rounded the last corner and it took all my will power to not stop short. There was a rather large crowd of 'greasers' and 'hoods' standing around two cars that were parked on opposite sides of the street. There were even more standing around a few kegs of beer that had been set up in a vacant lot next to the cars. There were clouds of cigarette smoke hanging over the giant group. Instantly my pulse spiked and my breathing became short and strained. I had been getting better in crowds and I was starting to enjoy coming into town but I had never been around this many 'rough characters' as my mother would describe them. Most of the people were guys around my age. The clothing of choice seemed to be jeans and leather jackets or plain shirts in either black or white. And, of course, slicked back hair. There were also quiet a few girls present too. I hadn't talked with any 'greaser girls' so I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that they liked short, tight clothes and makeup. I forced myself to breathe through my nose and tried to consciously slow down my heart rate. I followed Soda and Pony as they delved into the crowd. They received a few greetings from people they knew. I received many strange and sometimes inappropriate glances. A few girls glared at me when I latched onto Soda's shirtsleeve to make sure we wouldn't get separated. It was entirely uncomfortable. I could feel the panic slipping down my spine and into my stomach.

"Where do you think Two-bit and Steve are at?" Soda said loudly to Pony as we reached a little clearing. I took a deep breath and briefly closed my eyes.

Pony shrugged, "By the beer?" He offered. Soda laughed and nodded his head in agreement. We made our way to the kegs in search of the other boys.

Two-bit and Steve were indeed by the kegs. They were standing with a couple of girls they were obviously trying to impress. Steve caught sight of us first and warmly greeted Soda. He patted Pony on the back rather harshly and spared me a small glance and cold smile. Two-bit staggered over to us with a blonde under his arm.

"Well look who it is!" He cried and I again wondered if he was ever sober.

"Hey Two-bit, Cathy. Ready to see some drag racin'?" Soda said excitedly as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

"What kinda question is that?" Two-bit asked smiling widely. The girl, Cathy, giggled and he turned to place a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"Hey Sodapop, you Remember Lorene right? She's friends with Sylvia." Steve asked. The other girl, a brunette, sashayed closer to Soda. I would have described her as pretty but the amount of makeup she wore and the way she stood with her chest sticking out sort of ruined whatever natural beauty she might have had. To me, she looked a little trashy.

"Hey Soda," she all put purred. I had to quickly change my snort into a cough. Thankfully no one noticed.

"Lorene." He said smiling and took a step closer to her but turned his attention to Steve.

"So who's racing?" He asked.

"Uh, Tommy O'Neill from Tim's gang and some guy from one of the gangs over on the east side."

"You put money on Tommy?" Soda asked. Steve took a sip of his beer before answering, "Sure did. You gonna bet?"

I didn't get to hear Soda's response as Cathy and Lorene came over to stand by me.

"Hi! I'm Cathy." The blonde said smiling and holding out her hand. I shook it, "Winnie."

"Winnie? Like Winifred?" Lorene said then snorted at my nod, "I think one of my grandmother's is named that."

"You're Lorene?" I asked still keeping my cool. I didn't feel like wasting my time picking fights with these girls. Lorene nodded as she smacked her gum.

"So are you one of Pony's little friends?" Cathy asked with in a voice lacking any real interest. The way she asked me if I was 'Pony's little friend', however, grated on my nerves. I caught Pony's eye and noticed the uncomfortable look he was wearing. I think he might have been confused as to whether Cathy, Lorene and I were getting along or not. I gave him a small smile and turned my attention back to the girls.

"Sure, but to be honest I've known Soda longer." I didn't my best to keep my tone even.

"Soda knows a lotta girls." Lorene said slyly, probably trying to see if I'd take the bait or get defensive. I shrugged, that didn't bother me. My lack of reaction seemed to calm the girls down a little and they went back to talking amongst themselves.

Soda, Steve and Two-bit were having a rather loud conversation about previous races. There was a lot of teasing and harmless insults being traded between the three of them and soon enough they started drawing a crowd of people. Mostly greasers that they appeared to be friendly with and that came to join in or muck about. More girls showed up but didn't bother to talk to me. They were too distracted by Soda and Steve. Pony was also distracted. A couple of guys and girls closer to his age approached him. He didn't seem quite as in to it though. It was awkward just standing there not talking to anybody and there was still the tension in my spine that increase with the crowd. Soda would occasionally look over to me and smile or wink and I did my best to smile and look like I was having a good time. I didn't want to ruin anyone's night with my social handicaps. Two-bit was having a good time drinking and he seemed to sense my discomfort.

"Heyyyy Win!" He slurred. I gave a strained smile but didn't say anything.

"Here's a drink! Might help you loosen up a little." He laughed and thrust a beer in my hand. He was staggering off before I could protest. I didn't usually drink, not liking the out of control feeling I got when I did. Tonight, however, I decided one beer wouldn't hurt. I sipped on the bitter liquid quickly and tried to relax. It was only enough to get me slightly tipsy. The crowd grew even more on I suddenly felt the need to get out of there. I touched Pony on the arm to get his attention.

"I'm going to go for a little walk." I told him, he wrinkled his eyebrows.

"You OK?" He asked. I nodded and told him I'd be back soon. I walked off-somewhat unsteadily- along the sidewalk in a random direction. I took deep breaths of air and laid down in the grass a good distance from the cars and people but still close enough I could see and hear them faintly. I looked up at the dark sky for a while before I heard footsteps approaching. I didn't look to see whom it was figuring it was Soda or Ponyboy.

"Ya' know the party's over there right?" An unfamiliar voice said and I shot up though I regretted when my head spun. There was a guy around my age standing about two feet away looking at me with harsh, appraising eyes. He wasn't very appealing looking. I scooted away and stood up.

"You're right. I better get back to it." I said weakly. I made to walk back but the guy stood in my way. I looked up at his brown eyes.

"Excuse me." I tried but he just grinned and refused to move.

"How 'bout we stay here for a little bit," He said with a dangerous smile as he gave me a long once over.

"Uhm, thanks but I have friends waiting…" I trailed off and looked at the distant crowd hoping to see one of the boys or that they'd see me. I couldn't find any of them. I made to walk again but he still stepped in my path. I gave an irritated sigh.

"Please move." I said firmly. He just laughed and stepped closer; I instinctively took a step back.

"Seriously? I just want to get back to my friends." I pleaded really getting upset now.

"What's your name?" The guy asked ignoring my words. I was about to tell him to leave me alone when a lone figure about twenty yards away caught my eye.

"Dallas!" I yelled loudly and the figure stopped. Relief flooded me. I looked at the guy who was now looking uncomfortable himself.

"There's a friend now! Bye." I said as I rushed off. I got closer to Dallas and saw him watching the guy who hassled me as he walked back to the party.

I gave him a smile.

"You have really nice timing." I said gratefully. He didn't say anything for a moment.

"Dallas?" I asked.

"What the hell are you doin' here?" He asked a little angrily. I blinked, was he still in a bad mood? I hadn't even done anything yet.

"It's a free country." I told him irritated and defensive.

"Go home." He said, walking in the direction of the race, which was about to start. I huffed and followed him, nearly tripping over my feet. Dallas turned to make sure I didn't fall then narrowed his eyes at me.

"Are you drunk?" He hissed. I looked at him innocently.

"No." I said honestly.

"Bullshit! I can smell the beer."

I blushed but then stood up a little straighter.

"I had one beer. That's not nearly enough to get me drunk."

"What the hell is with you?" He growled, "First that shit on your face and now drinkin'? Trying to be like your damn cousin?"

I glared at him. Who did he think he was? And no insulted Fran but me!

"Me? What about you? You have more damn mood swings than a pregnant woman! Half the time I don't know what I do to piss you off so thoroughly!" I might have been yelling at this point.

"You're a fuckin' idiot!" He said lowly. I felt something in my stomach twist pleasantly at the sound of his rumbling voice. It didn't last long as my anger flared up.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, riled.

"Yeah." He lashed back. Fine, he thought I was an idiot then I'd go be an idiot. "Fine!"

I started stomping back to the party. He hurried after me and grabbed my arm. I glared at him as he turned me around.

"Where the hell you goin'?" He asked dangerously. I yanked my arm out of his grasp.

"To go find that guy. Maybe tell him my name." I said childishly.

I walked away again but instead of grabbing me by the arm Dallas grabbed me around my waste, lifted me, and turned me to face the other direction. He was now standing between the crowd and me.

"You. Are. Not. Going. Back. There. Stop tryin' to tag along. It's a pain in the ass." He said seriously. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he meant it. Knowing that he didn't want me around stung more than usual. My anger drained from me and was replaced with an ache in my chest that went into my stomach and made me feel a little sick. I wasn't the type of girl to cry and especially around a boy I liked but I could feel pressure behind my eyes start to build.

"Fine." I managed to get out before quickly turning away from Dallas. I walked off away from the party and in the direction of where I thought my car was. I focused on not letting the tears fall and didn't notice that I had taken a wrong turn somewhere. I groaned as I rounded a corner and discovered I had made a full circle. The neighborhood was rough and worn down and not the kind of place I wanted to find myself lost in. I couldn't even find a working payphone and there was no one around to get directions from. My frustration only grew as I heard the distinct sound of thunder overhead.

I couldn't stop a few tears from falling and I wiped them away furiously. I began walking in a new direction and faintly heard the sound of roaring engines as the race finally started. At least I knew which direction the race was in. The roaring grew louder and then grew fainter as the cars passed me a few streets over. I finally found a street I recognized but decided I wasn't ready to go find my car now. I still felt the beer in my system, and my eyes weren't completely dry. I sat on a bus bench knowing buses had stopped running. I felt detached and tired and didn't want to move even when the rain started falling. Eventually, I sort of drifted off into thought but jumped and let out a squeak as someone sat down next to me. I blinked in surprise at Dallas. He wasn't looking at me; in fact, he was looking in the opposite direction. I didn't know what to say so I kept my mouth shut. If he wanted to do the talking I'd let him.

"Why are you still here?" He said attempting to sound indifferent as he glanced at me. I shrugged, unable to give him an answer.

"Why are you here now?" I asked in return. He looked away and rotated his shoulders in his leather jacket.

"I was headin' back to Buck's." He said in the same even, emotionless tone.

"What about the race?" My voice came out hollow. It seemed odd to be having such a normal conversation after the argument earlier. Dallas shrugged and gave me a bitter smile.

"Wasn't feelin' it." He said, "Man, it's really comin' down." He said looking up at the sky. I hadn't notice the rain increase in force. I nodded.

"I should be getting back." I mumbled, "I don't want the roads to get worse."

I stood up and he did the same.

"Maybe you oughta call home, see if you should be drivin'." He told me. I raised my eyebrows at his concern.

"I haven't found a working payphone yet." I told him.

"Use Buck's, there shouldn't be that many people there yet. The race just ended."

I realized that this was his way of apologizing for being so harsh earlier. I followed him the block and a half to Buck's place and sure enough there wasn't anyone there. He pointed out the phone and went upstairs to change into dry clothes. I quickly called home and Uncle Todd answered.

"Hey Uncle." I said as I shivered.

"Winnie! Are you ok? It's really raining up here." He sounded relieved to hear me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's really raining down here too. I'll head back as soon as I hang up."

"No, that's not going to work. The rains washed part of the road out and there a downed tree somewhere along it according to Mrs. Peterson, she just called."

"Oh." I said blankly.

"I hate to do this but is there a safe place for you to stay tonight?" He asked. I thought about it. I could always ask Soda if his brother would be ok letting me spend the night on the couch or just spend the night in the car.

"Yeah, I have a few options." I told him. He gave a concerned sighed.

"Are you sure you'll be ok. I can try getting you in the truck…"

"No, no please don't risk it." I hurried. I didn't want to risk Fran becoming on orphan.

"Call me first thing tomorrow." He said.

"I will, promise. Love you Uncle Todd."

I hung up the phone and bit my lip as I thought about what to do. Dallas came down the stairs in a dry pair of jeans that hung low on his hips and no shirt as he towel dried his hair. I couldn't help but stare…and drool. He had more muscle than Soda I noticed. I saw Dallas' self-satisfied smirk and blushed furiously.

"Do Soda and Pony know I left?" I asked.

"I told 'em you went home. You should probably call Soda in the mornin', let him know you're not dead." He said and tossed me the towel. I dried myself off as best as I could.

"Well, I better go."

"Where?" He asked as he grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"The car. I'll just sleep in the backseat." I made to head to the front door but he stopped me.

"Don't be an idiot." He said. I narrowed my eyes, remembering our previous conversation. Dallas read my mind and smirked.

"Fine, what do you suggest I do oh Wise One?" I mocked. He took a swig of beer and motioned around him. I felt my eyes go wide.

"I'm not staying here. People are going to be coming over any minute to get drunk and who knows what else." He was crazy if he thought I was going to go anywhere near the couch in the living room.

"Come on." He said unperturbed by my strong reaction. I reluctantly followed him upstairs. He led me into his room and I felt my defenses go up. I suddenly remembered Fran's warning words. Then I thought that it might not be so bad to spend the night with Dallas. I quickly banished that thought.

Dallas tossed me a baggy shirt and pair of sweat pants that had been turned into shorts.

"Change." He told me and left. I quickly stripped and put on the dry clothes. The shirt was long and covered the rather skimpy shorts. I braided my wet mess of curls and opened the door. He walked back in and I didn't miss the lingering look he gave my exposed legs. I gave him my very own self-satisfied smirk. He laughed darkly at that and threw a pillow and flimsy blanket at me. I caught them easily.

"The floor's comfier than it looks." He said as he stretched out on his bed.

"What a chivalrous gentleman you are." I said sarcastically as I made my bed on the floor. He looked sideways at me.

"We can share anytime you want." His tone was definitely suggestive and I once again had to banish certain thoughts.

"No, thank you," I said flippantly as I laid down and curled up in the blanket, "This floor IS comfier than it looks." I added saucily. He laughed again and I smiled. He turned off the lamp by his bed and I relaxed my body. I had almost drifted off but then I spoke softly.

"Thanks Dally." I said sleepily. I heard him mumble something but I couldn't tell what as I finally fell asleep.

**Please Review! I love reading your thoughts. Also, I'm looking for a beta so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know!**


	16. Set Backs Part 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders…. Sadly.**

**Author's Note: I promised I would update! So so so terribly sorry for the indecently long wait but many person things got in the way. However, I'm back now! YAY! SO let me know what you think!**

There were a few things I learned when I woke up on Dallas' floor a couple hours later. One was that it was absolutely freezing. Two was that it was very uncomfortable. The third was that not only could I hear the music and partying going on downstairs I could FEEL it. It felt like the whole floor was vibrating in time with the music. And the last thing was that the storm was still raging outside.

I turned over and stifled a groan as I stretched out my muscles. I shivered and curled back up trying to get warm. I stared at the gap under the door, the hallway light was on and every once in a while there would be a shadow as someone passed by the door. It was usually accompanied with a giggling girl and some stumbling. I tried not to think about what might be going on in the other rooms. I turned over again, unable to find a comfortable position. My throat was also dry and I was craving a glass of water.

I tried going back to sleep but the cold and my thirst was too distracting. Finally admitting defeat I stood up carefully in the dark and made my way to the door. I held my ear against the wood and listened to make sure no one was in the hall.

"Winnie?" I jumped as Dallas suddenly said my name.

"Jeez! What?" I whispered back.

"Where are you goin'?" He asked and I could just make out his form on the bed through the dark. He was rubbing one eye with a fist and his hair was sticking up more than usual. His blanket covered him from about the middle of his chest down and I found myself wishing it would fall lower.

"Winnie?" He said more sharply this time and I jumped again. I was thankful it was dark enough to hide my blush.

"I need some water. Is there a bathroom down the hall?" My voice was slightly unsteady and I felt like slapping some sense into myself.

"Yeah, take a right. It's the last door." He said and turned over. I opened the door and quietly crept down the hall to the bathroom. I kept looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was coming.

The bathroom was thankfully unoccupied. I locked the door and turned on the faucet and cupped my hands under it. I gulped the water as quickly as I could. After I drank my fill I rushed out the door and back to Dallas's room.

I looked down expecting to find the pillow and blanket where I left them but they were gone. Puzzled, I moved closer to the bed.

"Is this your subtle way of telling me to get lost?" I whispered to Dallas, only half joking. I heard him chuckle darkly before he answered.

"Nah, I don't do subtle." I could believe that.

"So…?" I asked.

"Get in." He said simply. I didn't move though the cold was making goose bumps appear on my bare legs.

"What?" I said finally. I think my non-movement irritated him.

"I heard you shiverin' away on the floor. I ain't willin' to give up my other blanket so get in." He said with a dark tone though I got the feeling his heart wasn't really in it. I could just make out my blanket now covering the bed as well. If I was honest with myself it was a rather appealing offer and not just because I would actually be warm and comfy. I gave a reluctant sigh more for show than anything else and eased my way under the covers.

Dallas didn't make a move to touch me and I was careful to keep my body from touching his. After a few tense moments I relaxed and turned my back to the rough and tough Greaser.

"Sodas' have a field day." Dallas said with a bit of amusement. I turned to face him. He was facing the ceiling but his eyes were closed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. A sly grin spread over his lips and he opened his eyes to look at me.

"When I tell him I slept with you. He might actually try to kick my ass."

For a second I felt sheer panic that he would do that and that my reputation- what little one I had- would be ruined. Then I realized that the thought of me actually sleeping with Dallas was so ridiculous that no one would believe him.

"It wouldn't work." I told him. He turned his side, mirroring me.

"You sure?" He asked though it came out as more of a challenge.

"Yes," I said with certainty, "Soda would probably just laugh at the thought."

The little gleam in Dallas's eyes vanished and his expression became very serious.

"Why?" He bit out, "Cause I'm a dirty hood right? The only thing a RESPECTABLE girl would do is spit on me huh?" He asked, his voice harsh and cold. I was shocked. That wasn't what I had meant. He must have taken my silence as confirmation because he leaned up on his elbow forcing me onto my back as he hovered over me. I realized that I was a very stupid girl for feeling a little thrill as he did this. He opened his mouth to continue his rant but I beat him to it.

"Dally, stop it. That isn't what I meant. I meant that I'm not the kind of girl you would ever go for." Best to be frank I thought. He shut his mouth so I went on.

"I'm not tough or pretty or funny. I don't drink and enjoy races and parties." I said without pity. I knew what I was and wasn't ashamed of it.

"I'm just some country girl. You said it yourself so you have to admit that us actually… you know…sleeping together is a little unbelievable." I finished. His face was a blank page, totally unreadable and that made me uncomfortable.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"How 'bout a deal?" He said.

"A deal?"

He nodded. "A bet. Tomorrow we go find Soda, I'll tell him we slept together and I bet he'll believe it."

"No." I said right away. He gave me a bitter smile.

"What? Afraid you'll lose?" He mocked and I blushed.

"Yes. So how about I just admit defeat right now?" I smiled sweetly. He grinned back.

"Fine but I want my prize."

"What prize?" I asked. There had been no mention of prizes. He was about to tell me but stopped himself. I gave him a prompting look but he just growled and flipped to his other side.

"My prize is you shuttin' up and lettin' me get some sleep."

Ouch.

"Fine." I said trying to hide the hurt his words caused. I should have been used to this by now. I turned over too and drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

I woke up the second time feeling warm and comfortable. I was aware I was in Dallas' bed and that the sound of partying and rain had stopped. I lifted my arms above my head and stretched out. The sun was shining brightly through the window and a glance to my left told me Dallas was still sleeping soundly. I briefly considered waking him up but I didn't want to find out what he was like in the early morning.

I slipped out of bed and over to my now dry clothes. I was going to go to the bathroom to change but changed my mind when I heard rapid footsteps down the hall, a door slamming and then the obvious sounds of someone throwing up. I turned my back to the bed and stripped off the oversized t-shirt and quickly replaced it with my own. I did the same with the shorts and pants. I looked back at the bed and gave a relieved sigh to find Dallas sleeping soundly. I slipped on my shoes and took my hair out of the messy braid.

I was about to slip out the door when a small bundle of letters caught my eye. I couldn't say why they did; maybe it was because they seemed so out of place in the messy room. They were sitting on a dresser, maybe two dozen in total. All from the same person, Johnny Cade, and all unopened. I looked back at the bed when I heard shuffling. I moved away from the dresser- and letters- and made a show of looking for my bag. Finally 'finding' it I turned to the now awake Dallas. He rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"Morning." I offered with a tentative smile.

"Morning." His voice was rough from sleep.

"I guess I'll be going. Thanks for letting me stay." I didn't want to overstay my welcome.

"Stop." He barked, "I better make sure the coast is clear. Unless you want someone to see you?" He stumbled out of bed. I almost smiled both at his surprisingly considerate thought and his clumsiness. Dallas put on a clean shirt and shoes and opened the door. After looking both ways he grabbed my arm and led me downstairs and out the front door with surprising speed and very little noise.

"Huh, looks like you've had practice sneaking girls out of your room before." I teased. He smiled and I was surprised to find it was genuine. Maybe Dallas was a morning person.

"Jealous?" He teased back.

"Completely." I laughed. I really enjoyed Dallas when he wasn't being a jerk.

Dallas walked me all the way back to my car, claiming it was on the way to a gas station he sometimes went to get a coke or magazine. I wanted to ask him about the letters but I was having too much fun not arguing with him. He wasn't exactly chipper but there were no drastic mood changes either. He laughed at me when I misjudged the depth of a puddle and ended up with my legs soaked to the ankles. It wasn't even a cruel laugh.

"Thank again Dally." I said as I unlocked the car door. He ran a hand through his hair and looked around like he was worried someone would see him helping me out and wanted to give the impression that I was the one bothering him.

"Don't-" He started gruffly.

"-Mention it. I know. You have a reputation to uphold." I smiled, "See you around." I got in the car as he continued walking.

"You're ok right?" Uncle Todd asked later that morning. I had told him I spent the night in the car and that nothing had happened at all. He seemed to be beating himself up pretty hard which was unusual. He normally kept a great bit of distance between us. He was the kind of man to go out and fiddle with something in the garage. His sudden worry was a little annoying. Fran had also expressed her concern. Luckily, she received a call from one of her friends so the got her off my case.

"Uncle Todd, I'm fine. I promise. I think I'm going to shower and eat something." I said as gently as I could. He sighed.

"Hold on. I have to tell you something." His tone was somber.

"What?" I asked slowly. That tone was never good.

"Last night, after you called I went to the barn to check on the horse."

"And?"

"It's Old Girl. She was down and I couldn't get her to stand back up again." His voice cracked and my stomach dropped.

"Is she ok?" I asked though I was pretty sure I knew the answer. He shook his head and I felt stinging in my eyes.

"She's dead?" My voice cracked too. He nodded.

"I'm sorry Winnie. I know how much you loved her but…" He trailed off and Fran came into the room. She looked like she hadn't slept all night.

"She was old." I said, my voice hollow, "I'm going upstairs. Sorry I wasn't here."

I didn't cry in the shower. I didn't cry when the water went cold. I still didn't cry when Fran knocked on the door asking if I was all right. I skipped breakfast, preferring to lay on my bed and stare at the ceiling until I fell asleep. When I woke up that afternoon Uncle Todd forced me to eat something. He told me he buried Old Girl behind the barn when I was sleeping and asked if I wanted to say good-bye.

"Later." Was all I told him.

I spent the rest of my Saturday lying in bed not crying.

I hadn't realized I had fallen asleep until I woke up. It was disorienting and I had a terrible headache that only increased when I remembered what happened the previous day. I sighed and decided I had to at least act like it was a normal day. I changed into fresh clothes and made my way downstairs.

Uncle Todd was sitting in his usual spot but Fran was absent. She must have still been sleeping.

"How did you sleep?" Uncle Todd asked. I gave him a strained smile.

"Like a log actually."

"Eat something." He said and pushed a bowl of oatmeal at me. I didn't want to but I made myself eat anyway. Uncle Todd and I sat in silence while I ate but a car pulling up the drive broke it.

"Damn, That'll be the Curtis boy. I forgot to call and cancel for today." Uncle Todd said as he stood up.

"Wait, I'll go talk to him." I rushed out and all but ran out the door.

"Where's the fire Winnie?" Soda joked as I ran at him. His easy smile was comforting but it slid off his face when he saw me. Soda would make it better because that's what Soda did. As soon as I reached him I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a hug. He stumbled back a few steps but hugged me back.

"Winnie?" He asked, his voice full of concern. I just shook my head and didn't say anything. A car door slamming made me jump away from Soda. I looked back at the car and saw Dallas standing there. His body was tense and he was shooting looks at me or maybe it was Soda. I was waiting for a cruel remark or snide comment. I was waiting for a fight but Dallas surprised me. Again.

"Are you ok?" Dallas asked, still tense. For some reason that broke the seal and I started bawling like a little girl. If I hadn't been crying I probably would have laughed at the surprised and slightly terrified looks both the boys wore.

"Sorry." I choked out as I wiped the tears away but more came. Soda rubbed my back again but dropped it when Dallas came to stand by us.

"Tell us what happened." Dallas demanded. I nodded and took a calming breath.

"Old Girl died last night." I said softly as a few tears trailed down my cheeks. I felt stupid.

"Oh." Soda said sadly, "I'm really sorry Winnie."

I shrugged and looked at Dallas. He was looking at me with another damn unreadable look. I straightened up and wiped the last of my tears away.

"Sorry." I said again. Soda ruffled my hair and smiled softly.

"Ah! Ain't nothing to be sorry about." He looked at Dallas. The two boys had one of those silent conversations that's all in the eyes and I couldn't tell what was going on. Finally Soda turned to me.

"I'm gonna go talk to your Uncle."

I blinked, "Ok."

He walked towards the house and I was left standing with Dallas in an uncomfortable silence. I struggled to find something to say but couldn't think of anything. Giving up I made my way into the barn. I hurried past the first empty stall.

Ronny lifted his head to greet me. He was quiet as were Calypso and King and I wondered if they felt the loss too. I wanted to think so but I doubted it. I rubbed my hand against his forehead and down to his velvety nose. I jumped I heard someone come up behind me. I looked over my shoulder at Dallas. His eyes were dark and I couldn't tell if he was angry or worried.

"My Uncle buried her behind the barn." I told him. It was a pointless thing to say but I didn't like the silence. It wasn't like he cared anyway.

"It's a stupid place." I went on, growing angry. "There isn't a view and no one ever goes back there. It's just weeds and a grave. He probably didn't even think about it." I walked away from the stall and plopped down on a bale of hay. Dallas blew a huff of air out his nose and grabbed me around the wrist. I glared at him but didn't say anything as he dragged me out of the barn and around the corner to the back. He finally let go when we reached the pile of freshly disturbed soil.

"And the point of this is…?" I trailed off. He shot me a glare.

"So your horse is buried behind the barn. Boo fucking hoo." He said, "At least she didn't end up becomin' glue."

I didn't respond as I took a moment to think about it. I guess he was right; she could have ended up in worse places. I wanted to kick myself. I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

"Sorry Dally." I said looking back at him, "And thanks."

He really did make me feel a little better.

"Whatever. If you're lookin' for sympathy go find Soda."

I was pretty sure there was a bit of resentment in his tone but I couldn't figure out the cause.

"Why would I go find Soda when you're so warm and cuddly?" I said with a dead serious tone, which dissolved into a fit of giggles as soon as I saw his expression. As soon as I started laughing he pushed me up against the wall and leaned into whisper in my ear.

"If I remember correctly you were the warm and cuddly one last night."

I blushed but covered it up by snorting and pushing against his chest. He only backed up a few inches.

"There was a good two inches between us last night." I said seriously but a smile tugged at my lips.

He gave me a slow, sly smile, "Sure…" He started walking back to the front of the barn and I made to follow him.

"I like the matching set by the way." He said and I stopped dead and narrowed my eyes.

"Purple really is your color Win." With that he disappeared around the corner. Blood rushed to my cheeks as realization dawned.

"Jack ass!" I cried and I heard said Jackass laugh from around the corner. And I had thought I had gotten away with changing clothes in his bedroom.

**I really struggled with choosing who would comfort Winnie. At first it was Soda then I put Dally in Soda's place but I knew that would have been too out of character. SO after really thinking about it I realized Winnie wouldn't just cry, be comforted and get over it. She'd cry, get angry, and Dallas would have to put some sense back into her and she'd be better. I hope that makes sense. **

**Also if things go correctly Johnny's letters will be explained next chapter.**

**And I'd really appreciate some feedback on the pace of Dally and Win…things are going to be picking up soon.**

**REVIEW! I really need them! PLEASE?**


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